Expanding Research Capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa Through Informatics, Bioinformatics, and Data Science Training Programs in Mali

Abstract

Bioinformatics and data science research have boundless potential across Africa due to its high levels of genetic diversity and disproportionate burden of infectious diseases, including malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS, Ebola virus disease, and Lassa fever. This work lays out an incremental approach for reaching underserved countries in bioinformatics and data science research through a progression of capacity building, training, and research efforts. Two global health informatics training programs sponsored by the Fogarty International Center (FIC) were carried out at the University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Mali (USTTB) between 1999 and 2011. Together with capacity building efforts through the West Africa International Centers of Excellence in Malaria Research (ICEMR), this progress laid the groundwork for a bioinformatics and data science training program launched at USTTB as part of the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) initiative. Prior to the global health informatics training, its trainees published first or second authorship and third or higher authorship manuscripts at rates of 0.40 and 0.10 per year, respectively. Following the training, these rates increased to 0.70 and 1.23 per year, respectively, which was a statistically significant increase ( p < 0.001). The bioinformatics and data science training program at USTTB commenced in 2017 focusing on student, faculty, and curriculum tiers of enhancement. The program’s sustainable measures included institutional support for core elements, university tuition and fees, resource sharing and coordination with local research projects and companion training programs, increased student and faculty publication rates, and increased research proposal submissions. Challenges reliance of high-speed bandwidth availability on short-term funding, lack of a discounted software portal for basic software applications, protracted application processes for United States visas, lack of industry job positions, and low publication rates in the areas of bioinformatics and data science. Long-term, incremental processes are necessary for engaging historically underserved countries in bioinformatics and data science research. The multi-tiered enhancement approach laid out here provides a platform for generating bioinformatics and data science technicians, teachers, researchers, and program managers. Increased literature on bioinformatics and data science training approaches and progress is needed to provide a framework for establishing benchmarks on the topics.

Cancer Omics in Africa: Present and Prospects

“…African governments should also be involved in the implementation of cancer omics strategies by providing a useful and sustainable research environment in local government-owned institutions that will provide researchers with many opportunities to build their capacity in bioinformatics and omics through training programs. In this context, it is reassuring that many initiatives and projects have been put in place in different African countries (81), but additional efforts should be made to generalize these approaches on the continent. In addition, the hurdle of the limited number of studies conducted on African populations must be overcome, and research should be encouraged and pushed towards the detection of omics (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, epigenomics, and metagenomics) alterations in the case of cancer in a highly genetically diverse population such as the African one.…”

“…Across Africa, several bioinformatic training initiatives have been launched such as the doctoral training in bioinformatics provided in Uganda and Botswana through the Collaborative African Genomics Network (CAfGEN) (81), the Eastern Africa Network of Bioinformatics Training (EANBiT) (81) which supplies bioinformatics training in Kenya as part of a M.Sc. program in bioinformatics, and the African Genomic Center (TAGC) launched in Cape Town, South Africa in 2018 which comprises a powerful bioinformatics training component (81), not to mention the H3 African Bioinformatics Network (h3ABioNet) (82) that, in different countries, organize training programs aimed at enhancing the computational skills of biology and health scientists in Africa (81) (83). In addition, African scientists, regardless of their location, can be trained through online training programs, workshops on bioinformatics organized by world leading scientific organizations, short courses, and complete online degree programs established by some African universities (83).…”

Health research capacity of professional and technical personnel in a first-class tertiary hospital in northwest China: multilevel repeated measurement, 2013–2017, a pilot study

“…Firstly, hospital managers have realised the importance of scientific research; thus, some internal incentives were used to promote research [ 39 , 40 ]. Secondly, the PTP have undergone scientific training to improve their HRC [ 41 , 42 ]. Thirdly, talents with excellent HRC have been recruited in hospital; however, this may also increase the variation in the HRC of PTP as recruited talents with superior capacity and positive attitude towards research would more easily gain more academic resources and subsequently improve the HRC.…”

Bioinformatics Bootcamp: A model for training clinical researchers

“…www.iscb.org,), courses (biohpc.learn.in.th/) 20,21 , programs 21,23 , summer internships [17][18][19] , and workshops are avenues used to establish training in this area. Countries like Africa [24][25][26][27] and Thailand 28 have made tremendous efforts to increase bioinformatics capacity in their nations. For example, since 1996, efforts to increase bioinformatics infrastructure in Africa has led to the recent development of Human Heredity and Health in Africa initiative (www.h3africa.org).…”