Biomedical Research is the core-area of activity of the Centre. The proposed objectives for this area were defined, in the initial proposition of the LA, as RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION IN INFECTIOUS TROPICAL DISEASES (microbial and parasitic) with an emphasis in neglected and poverty diseases, both endemic and non-endemic. The FIELDS OF STUDY included i) Clinical sciences (diagnosis, clinical and therapeutics), ii) molecular epidemiology and population genetics, iii) Animal models, iv) Drug and insecticide resistance, v) Functional proteomics and genomics, vi) Public health and biostatistics. Also included was support for cryopreservation banks for strains and DNA.
These objectives were reshaped to accommodate the natural evolution of the LA structure, resulting in a redefinition of the research objectives in [TROPICAL HEALTH] and major divisions that originated the RESEARCH GROUPS working in Clinical Studies, Parasitology, Public Health, Health Education, Virology and Biotechnology.
Aiming at maximum competitiveness and quality of research, the groups use all the techniques available at CMDT and partners in a transversal way. The establishment of cross-group research lines is the main strategic functional objective of our activity of Biomedical Research.
Major Achievements:
The volume of outputs of this activity is detailed in each research group’s “achievements” description. Overall, we wish to highlight the performances in the following aspects, all of them established as international level areas, as reflected by the outputs, internationalization, networking capacity, fund raising capacity and structural importance to the LA:
Health Systems, a major player in international consultancy and research projects for national and foreign governments, coupled with important training capacity, led by the Health Systems unit.
Health Education studies led by the FMH group, with important achievements and networking at European level, and sustained field work in Angola and with corporate partners.
Migrant And Refugee’s Health, a collaborative research theme initiated by the Clinical Unit, now a major government, Portuguese Refugee Council and European Networks partner.
African Trypanosomiasis, a long and sustained area of research, participated by several research groups and ranging from animal models to clinical field research, diagnostic devices and proteomics. This includes Animal African Trypanosomiasis, a recent area of research, mainly based on UTPAM/INETI, initiated by a 6 FP program and developed trough mixed PhD fellowship grants
Malaria, an all-groups shared theme, (from epidemiology to clinical and Parasitology aspects) with major impact in the LA’s performance and an excellent international network involving almost every aspect of research in the field.
Leishmania, which is a high-output area, with special links to South America research groups and extensive work in immunologic aspects of disease.
Vector Population Genetics, a young but already prominent area of activity, engaged in major international projects and supporting vector-transmitted diseases research of all groups.
Drug And Insecticide Resistance studies, a disseminated collaborative area of research, from malaria to Trypanosomiasis, HIV, sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis.
Hepatitis D, as a relatively new basic research line with important collaborations in the USA and extensive work on molecular biology aspects of the disease.
HIV research is performed by a well established group with important studies concerning drug resistance and molecular epidemiology of the virus.
Future Research
Although the research groups constituting the LA have their own institutional existence, a 10 year (5+5) horizon for further development of this model is admitted in our future plans.
Our future plans concerning Research in Biomedical Sciences will follow the main axis of our strategic plan:
Research group organization, on the basis of core-activities in Tropical Health related research. This means to re-arrange the functional organization of the groups, together with the amplification of trans-group projects and activities, to be carried out under the coordination responsibility.
Broadening of research areas and integration of new groups is the second major axis of near future objectives for this research area. There are ongoing negotiations with groups from the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences-UL, IPATIMUP, Faculty of Science and Technology-UNL, National School of Public Health, National Institute of Health and internal research groups at IHMT. This will lead to a series of alliances and strategic positioning of the LA as a central convergence point for tropical health research activities in Portugal, and should be concluded before the end of 2008.
Identified priority diseases to enhance will be tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Identified priority instruments to be reinforced will be public health and epidemiology, translational clinical research tools and laboratory diagnostic & biological device’s prototype development.
Diversification of funding sources is also crucial for research. Special partnerships with private and public institutions have been actively pursued and will be greatly implemented in the next period, directly with the LA and trough the newly created non-profit organization at IHMT. The later will allow the LA to access mecenate funds and lower its dependence on governmental funds.
Two major correlated factors need to be addressed simultaneously, in order to implement the above stated: 1) Re-equipment of the main facilities at IHMT, mainly in the laboratory area and animal house, and 2) Management capacity reinforcement of the LA, with human resources enhancement at administrative and technical level.
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