Contents• MIRT 2004: Three

Continents, Four Sites

• MIRT Alumni & FacultyAttend EpidemiologyConference

• MIRT 2004 Pre-TravelOrientation: Meet,Greet and Learn!

• ALUM NET: Updates

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Summer 2004

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Dr. Annette Fitzpatrick,Simone, and Gabriela atthe Grand Mercado, Mexico

Scenes from Cuernavaca,Mexico

tidisciplinary International Research Training Program, 206-543-7559

IRT News

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IRT 2004 -- Work in Progresse launched two new training sites (North Vietnam and Bangkok, Thailand) this year!

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Enter the Grand Palace,Bangkok, Thailand

IRT 2004 was officially launchedune 28th. Twelve undergraduate andraduate students initiated theirellowships in Mexico, Peru,hailand, & Vietnam. The latter twoites were new for the Program.

his year, MIRT fellows were selectedrom a large number of universitiesncluding: the University ofashington, University of California,erkley; Villanova University, Xavierniversity, Johns Hopkins University,ice University, and Michigan Stateniversity.

n June 28, the Thailand group leftrom their home towns met theirolleagues and UW-MIRT Mentor, Dr.ichelle Williams in Tokyo’s Naritairport. From there the teamraveled to Bangkok. The group willarticipate in an “Epi-Biostat andesearch Writing” boot-camp led byr. Williams. They will also studyhai language and culture and attendhe International HIV/AIDSonference.

hree additional MIRT fellowsraveled on June 28th to meet upith two of their mentors, Dr. Sixtoanchez and Dr. Julio Perez at Dos deayo Hospital in Lima, Peru. Theoctors and their colleagues at Dose Mayo Hospital will mentor thiseam.

n June 29th three fellows met UWIRT Mentor, Dr. Annette Fitzpatrick

n Mexico, where they then travelednward to Curenavaca, Mexico toegin their research training at thenstituto Nacional de Salud PublicaINSP).

he fourth MIRT 2004 group,omprised of two undergraduates,raveled to Thai Nguyen, Vietnamhere they joined Dr. Tu T. T.hung, a recent graduate of the UWpidemiology Department andssistant Professor at Thai Nguyenedical School. The fellows beganork on a study entitled: “Thepidemiology of Adverse Pregnancyutcome” with Dr. Phung and herolleagues at the Medical School.

Page 2 of 10 MIRT IN MEXICO

Benjamin Vazquez

Hola from Cuernavaca, theCuernavaca group is having anamazing time. We share a twobedroom bungalow attached to themain house, and the owners of thehouse are wonderful. Our housemother, Malena, treats us like herown family. The whole family is awonderful cultural resource for us;they give us information about thearea, help us hone our Spanish skills,and provide a safe area for us to askour questions about Mexico. We'vetraveled just about every weekend.So far, we've been to Tepoztlan,Mexico City, Teotihuacan, Taxco andGrutas de Cacahuamilpa. Simoneeven made it to Acapulco for aweekend!

Gabriela and Simone with theirhost parents, Magdalena andGustavo, along with other familymembers

We've learned a great deal about therich history of the area. The ruins areamazing, and they are an inspiringtestament to Mexico's complexhistory.

INSP is treating us well. We've had toadjust to the way things are donehere, for it is quite different than inthe United States--the pace, thesystem, etc. We've been set-up withour projects, and, for the most part,we've had to work on themindependently. It's been a goodopportunity for us to develop ourindependent study skills. At times ithas been frustrating, but it is slowlycoming together. Overall, it'steaching us a valuable lesson, and itwill contribute to our future careersas researchers.

Simone, Gabriela and Benjaminshopping at the Central Market(Zocolo); deciding that it’s time fornew hats!

Ken Morrison, Director ofDepartment of Economicsand Politics, INSP Mentorof Benjamin Vazquez

Gabriela Saenz and hermentor, Dr. Nelly Salgado,of INSP

Jose Flores

I have to admit that arriving in Limaas a researcher-in training was an

A bad thing about the city is thatthere is too much smog and dust, but

Page 3 of 10 MIRT IN PERU

intimidating task. Never in my lifehad I carried out actual research, butmy worries were calmed knowingthat the MIRT staff would be trainingme and that I would have support onthe way. I knew that MIRT had highexpectations for its students;therefore I knew I had to come withan open mind and high goals set forme. Being a part of the researchteam, and knowing that eachmember is an integral part of theproject has taught me a lot and I nowhave a grasp on how populationbased research is carried out.Working at Dos de Mayo Hospital inthe center of Lima has been a greatexperience. Seeing so much povertyand observing the health needs ofthe population in Lima have given megreat insight in to how medicine iscarried out here as opposed to in theUS. Since Peru is still a developingnation, it seems that the most basichealth care is crucial. Seeing thatresearch is not a major priority herehas reinforced the fact that manyLatin American people suffer from

I guess that’s a problem with everyurban area.

Having the opportunity to travelwithin the country has been fun. Sofar I’ve been to Pachacamac, anancient ruins site that was inhabitedby three different indigenouscultures and Chosica, a town rightoutside of Lima where one can findsun, swimming, and great food. InAugust, I will travel to the city ofCuzco, which leads to the worldfamous “Lost City of the Incas,”Machu Pichu. I will also visit Ica, acity south of Lima from which I willtravel to the mysterious Nazca linesand to Huacachina, a place known forits sand dunes where visitors cansand board. My final destination inPeru will be Mancora, where one canfind some of the most beautifulbeaches in Peru and enjoy deliciousseafood, while relaxing under the sunwhich rarely is seen in the winter ofLima. Peru has to be one of thegreatest places in South America totravel in. It’s been great so far.

Emma, Kathryn and Jose atthe Rotunda of Dos de MayoHospital, Lima, Peru

poverty and that there is little accessto capital for these people. For thisreason, research is not stressed athospitals and more basic healthneeds have to be addressed. Like oneof the doctors said, “The biggestproblem here is social problems thatdeal with the uneven distribution ofresources.”

Getting to know the city has beenawesome. Lima has so much historyand there is so much to see. The foodis delicious and the people are allvery nice. The transportation systemhere is like no other. Getting in to ataxi is an adventure every time. Thedrivers here don’t follow the rules ofthe road, and I feel as if I am goingto be involved in a traffic accidentbefore I leave.

Incan stone idol: The Idol ofPachacamac - Lima, Peru.

Office of the Department ofEpidemiology in Dos de MayoHospital in Lima, Peru

April Noble

My overall experience in Thailand hasbeen remarkable. In the beginning, Ithought that it would be extremelydifficult to adjust to the pace of theThai culture and definitely thelanguage. However, the people hereare very friendly and helpful. Theyhelp you adapt to the culture byteaching you various words in Thai.Most of the words that I have beentaught have helped me get aroundthe city easily.

In Thailand, we have traveled toPattaya and Chiang Mai. The culturehere is very rich. The beaches,

Page 4 of 10 MIRT IN THAILAND

April, Ribka, Chinyere, andLinda (left to right)

Ribka Ayana

So far, Bangkok has surpassed myexpectations. This city is much moredeveloped than I ever imagined, butat the same time, Thailand is acountry that has retained a lot of itsrich culture and traditions. Thais areextremely proud of their royal familyand their culture. You see templesand pictures of members of the royalfamily just about everywhere in thecity. Another thing that is quiteunique to the Thai people is theirfriendliness and their hospitality.

So far we have had a chance to visitmany historical sites, temples andpalaces, both within and outside of

mountains, and temples areincredible. In addition, we havelearned much of the history thatsurrounds the Thai culture. The XVInternational AIDS Conference washeld in Bangkok, Thailand as well.This event allowed my colleagues andme to experience a huge conference.The Conference allowed us to learnmore about the AIDS epidemic, whatsteps are being taken to helpindividuals infected by the virus, andwhat we can do individually toprevent this virus from spreading.

Chinyere – not scared at all!

Bangkok. Although there are templeseverywhere, each temple that wehave visited has its own story and isunique in its structure.

It is also very encouraging to see adeveloping country, which is doing sowell economically. The governmentseems to really care about thegrowth of the country. You seeevidence of that in the projects andthe civic activities that are takingplace, at least in the areas that wehave visited so far.

I am definitely happy that I came toThailand and I wouldn't trade thisexperience for anything!

Page 5 of 10 MIRT IN THAILANDChinyere Ogbonna &Linda PhamThailand has been an absolutedelight. Bangkok is like the “NewYork City” of Thailand. Arriving atthe city of Bangkok, we did notexpect the roads and highways tobe packed with cars more than withmotorcycles and bicycles. The cityis a real hustle and bustle, full ofday and night time excursions. Oneunfortunate aspect is the literally"bumper to bumper traffic,"enhanced by the adrenaline rushreceived by monitoring the recklessdriving. We have been scared manya times by the reckless, yet skillfulnavigating of the taxis. One way toescape the craziness on the road isto ride the accessible sky train. Thesky train is pretty economical andsafe.

Other than that, the Thaihospitality and manner is absolutelyendearing and welcoming. Beingsurrounded by the warm language,we have absorbed the same quaintand polite manner. The culture ofThailand is dominated by religion(there are Buddhist templeseverywhere), royalty, tourism, andthe emerging issue of moderntechnologic times versus well-preserved tradition. The royalfamily is highly respected here, andtheir presence through banners andhuge pictures and paintings isdefinitely felt. The people heredress quite well and are equippedwith cell phones at every corner.From street vendors and markets tohuge malls, shopping has becomethe city's biggest market. We herehave given a good share to themarket ourselves.

Tourism has been THE number onemarket for the Thai government andpeople. The Thai people know somany languages to accommodatefor people all around the world whocome to see the beautiful country.

Time has really flown by here withall the activities that our group inBangkok, Thailand has beeninvolved in. The 15th InternationalAIDS Conference was the mostinteresting and eye-opening event.The scale of the AIDS pandemicreally has been a human rightsissue, and the issue of culture andpeople. Standard morals andignorance of the causes andmeanings attached to AIDS hindersthe successful prevention andelimination of the number onekiller in history. Politics was a hugeaspect in the conference, rightlyso, and the voice of the people washeard. All of the major leaders andplayers in the world against AIDSwere there to share their reportsand opinions. We were absolutelyhonored to be in the presence ofUN Secretary General Kofi Annanand former South African Presidentand wonderful leader, NelsonMandela. Many other highlyrespectable and admirable leadersshared their thoughts and theirpromises to fighting the waragainst AIDS.

Along with this very importantconference, we have had some funtoo: We went to tour the city,Chinatown, Pattaya beach, ChiangMai & Chiang Rai, and the GoldenTriangle (the triangle border ofThailand, Laos, and Burma). We willbe going to Phuket Island and itsbeaches as well, and maybeSingapore if money is still left. Also,one last thing, the Thai languageclasses are very fun and intensive.We are learning how tocommunicate in Thai, which hasbeen a great help.

Our time at the Union LanguageSchool, though intensive (fourhours of training each day!) isimmensely enjoyable. We arefortunate to have Mrs.Nareeboon Rachkeeree, theprincipal of the language schoolas our teacher (khruu - in Thai!).

Getting around via Bangkok’s Water Taxis

"I cannot rest until I amresponse is sufficient toepidemic." Nelson Mand

The XV InternationalAIDS Conference -Opening Ceremony

Page 6 of 10 MIRT IN THAILAND

Carolina Mejia- MIRT 2000 Alumna

MIRT Alumni Carolina Mejia attended theXV International AIDS Conference inBangkok. She describes her experience asfollows:

“It was really invigorating to be inThailand, in a country that has in the pastexperienced and responded to the mostwidespread epidemic of this region.Presenting my thesis on the "Acceptabilityof Female Condom among Sex Workers inThree Regions of Peru" at the conferencewas a professional experience for me. Ihad the opportunity to talk with other

MIRT FELLOWS ATTENDEDTHE AIDS CONFERNCE

The XV international AIDSConference, held in Bangkok,Thailand, was attended by MIRT-2000 alumni, Carolina Mejia, theMIRT-2004 Thailand Fellows, andDr. Williams. The biennialInternational conference was alsoattended by heads of states,senior scientists and healthadministrators from around theglobe, politicians, politicalactivists and celebrities. Those inattendance included: Kofi Annan,Nelson Mandela, Sonja Gandhi,and Richard Gere.

researchers who are doing similar HIV/STDs

certain that the global turn the tide of theela

prevention work with sex workers in India,Africa, and Latin America. I also had thewonderful opportunity to hear PresidentNelson Mandela’s inspirational speech. Thiswas probably one of his last public-speaking appearances since he's retiringfrom public life. Overall, this experiencewas an unforgettable experience and Ithank the MIRT Program for providing mewith the opportunity to attend theconference”.

Carolina presenting her poster

Page 7 of 10 MIRT IN VIETNAM

Kelly Bui and Lisa Nguyen

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Mortified by the blunt commentsabout our weight and facial acne, wedidn’t know what to do exceptlooked at each other sheepishly.After awhile, we learned not to takethese comments too personally,comprehending that people’sfrankness was simply a part of theculture.

We are working with facultymembers and staff of the ThaiNguyen Medical College and the ThaiNguyen General Hospital. We arestudying the risk factors of adversepregnancy outcomes includingpreterm delivery, stillbirths,preeclampsia and fetal growthretardation. We have been workingwith study principal investigators andresearch interviewers. Ourparticipation has allowed appreciatethe importance of real-lifeexperiences as they relate to thedevelopment of a comprehensivedata collection method. Nurses anddoctors provided in depth feedbackand comments concerning ourquestionnaire. Translating thequestionnaire has been quite anexperience!

In addition to exercises intranslation, our bi-lingual learningextended to lectures on our researchtopics on preterm delivery, stillbirth,preeclampsia, and birth defects.Taught in Vietnamese, we had totranslate the lecture to English inorder to fully comprehend thelecture. Not only did we learncompletely new concepts, but wealso learned them in two differentlanguages!

elly and Lisa - Martial arts, NOTheir strong suit!

…site seeing in Danang,Vietnam

An amazing aspect of ourexperience is that our research hasnot been limited to just bookwork.We have also been immersed in anextremely enriching clinical settingthat has shown us the motivationbehind our research. Attendinglectures with medical students,accompanying doctors on rounds forpost-natal care, and spending timein the delivery room has allowed usto witness the difficulties ofdelivery and pregnancy firsthand.For example, viewing several C-sections and the number of hourswomen often spent in labor gave usa numbing awareness of thedifficulty of childbirth. Therefore,we are extremely motivated in thisresearch, which can providepotential preventions for variouscomplications in pregnancy.

Overall, our time here hasencompassed more than learningstatistics or how to conductresearch in a developing country. Ithas also included clinicalexperiences and cultural lessons ofVietnam. From being in thissurrounding, we have become moreadapted, independent,understanding, and flexibleindividuals. We are looking forwardto many more valuable experiencesbefore our trip is over.

Lisa, Kelly, Dr. Tu Phung withthe research team at ThaiNguyen Medical College(second from left to right)

..free piggy back rides!

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Page 8 of 10 SER CONFERENCE

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IRT FACULTY AND ALUMNI ATTEND THE SER CONFERENCE

• Dr. Tu T. T. Phung Wins Epidemiology Research Poster Prize

Two MIRT 2003 Alumni, Roberto Orellana and

Sergio Tovar, presented their research posterin the Society of Epidemiological Research(SER) Conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah,June 14-June 18, 2004.

The fellows reported some findings from theirresearch entitled: “Risk Factors of Physicalfamily violence in Lima, Peru”.

Their Foreign Faculty Mentor, Dr. SixtoSanchez (Professor of Epidemiology at Dos deMayo Hospital in Lima, Peru) was on-hand tosupport the fellows. Dr. Sanchez also gave anoral research presentation of his recent paperon the epidemiology of preeclampsia inPeruvian women. In the spirit of being a “hi-level multi-tasker”, Dr. Sanchez also met MIRT-Peru 2004 fellows (Kathryn Sinclair and EmmaMoreno) to go over final plans before theydeparted for Lima late in June.

berto presenting his poster

New MIRT-Foreign Faculty Mentor, Dr Tu T. T.Phung, (Assistant Professor, Thai NguyenMedical College) and recent UW MPH presentedher research entitled “Risk Factors Associatedwith Low infants Birth Weight in Thai Ngyen,Vietnam” and was an award winning poster.Congratulations to Dr. Phung! And Welcome tothe UW-MIRT team!

Last but not least, we are happy to report thatthe UW-MIRT Program is fortunate to have Mr.Bizuayehu Gelaye (Bizu) as a new member ofthe administrative and teaching team. Mr.Gelaye, a Mechanical Engineer by training, is askillful and compassionate administrator whoselflessly supports program faculty andstudents.

Please see our next issue (Fall issue) for moreon UW-MIRT Program’s students, staff andfaculty.

r. Tu T. T. Phung

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A MIRT Alumni 2002, Anna Fortin, won

Graduating Honors

Page 9 of 10 MEMORIES & A SUCCESS STORY

Successful MIRT-2004Pre Departure Orientation

IRT faculty and staff collaboratedo host a successful orientationrogram for twelve MIRT Fellows forhe MIRT 2004 Program. Therientation Program was held for twoays on May 6 and 7 in South Campusenter. So that students would havead a good opportunity to take caref last minute details before leavingome for their respective foreignesearch sites.

elen McGough, Director of the UWuman Subject Division, providedtudents and faculty with a lecturen bioethics and responsibleesearch. Patrick Giles of the UWMCravel Clinic shared his expertise onravel health with fellows andaculty.

he MIRT Advisory Board Member andirector of Health Sciences Minoritytudents, Karlotta Rosebaugh, lead aroup discussion on culturalompetence. MIRT Co-Directors, Drs.ichelle Williams and Virginiaonzales led small group discussionsnd shared experiences gained fromnternational research and travel.

IRT Faculty Member Dr. Annetteitzpatrick introduced fellows to theoys (Yes. JOYS!) of Epidemiology andiostatistics.

ll in all it was a successful pre-ravel orientation. MIRT 2004ellows took advantage of thepportunity to meet their colleagues,hare their concerns and anxietiesnd begin to take definitive stepsowards attenuating those concernsnd anxieties as they worked withIRT staff, faculty (and most

mportantly) each other as new-embers of the UW-MIRT team!

the UW’s highest academic honor,the President’s Medal

Anna’s undergraduate GPA was 3.99.Remembering her MIRT experienceshe said “What great memories I stillhave about that summer”.

She added, “I also want to let youknow how greatly (and positively)my MIRT experience impacted meboth as a student and as a worldcitizen”.

Congratulations Anna! Best ofwishes in medical school.

Fellows in small group discussions

Fellows in a Biostatistics trainingsession led by Dr. Fitzpatrick.

Page 10 of 10

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University of WashingtonMIRT Program, Box 357236

1959 Pacific St. NESeattle, WA 98195

Phone:(206) 543-7559

Fax:(206) 543-8525

E-Mail:mirt@u.washington.edu

ALUM-NETLet us know how you’re doing and what you’ve been up to!

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rmission to use this information in future newsletter Yes____ No____

UcWproiT

MIRT is a national program designed toencourage students from underrepresentedgroups to pursue careers in biomedical andbehavioral research. This program providessupport for undergraduates and graduatestudents to receive research training in aninternational setting. Conceived and fundedby the Fogarty International Center of the

ational Institutes for Health, the B

W MIRT Program has been developed inollaboration with Dillard University andestern Washington University. Therogram focuses on population-based healthesearch in developing countries and buildsn established linkages with academicnstitutions in Zimbabwe, Vietnam,hailand, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and

razil.

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Elephant on parade in Bangkok, Thailan