TY - JOUR
T1 - Challenges and strategies for biomedical researchers returning to low- And middle-income countries after training
AU - Ahmed, Ayman
AU - Daily, Johanna P.
AU - Lescano, Andres G.
AU - Golightly, Linnie M.
AU - Fasina, Abiola
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2020 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - The brain drain of professionals from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to developed countries is well documented and partially due to the challenges faced by biomedical researchers to establish themselves back at home, after training abroad. These challenges may result in the loss of highly trained individuals from LMICs and reduce the availability of local expertise to develop/inform best practices in health care and to direct locally relevant research. The path of training of LMIC researchers in high-income countries is well documented. However, strategies for a successful reintegration of biomedical researchers back to their home research institutions in LMICs are less clear. We report observations of workshops addressing repatriation needs of researchers returning to their home countries after training abroad during the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) 2017 and 2018 annual meetings. Strategies proposed include maintaining connections with the home research institution, ideally through collaborations, planning 18 months ahead before returning with grants applications submitted, and engaging in networking throughout the training period. In addition to presenting our observations, we hope to build a network to facilitate this process, compile resources, and identify expertise within the ASTMH to develop robust strategies to allow young biomedical researchers to flourish in LMICs.
AB - The brain drain of professionals from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to developed countries is well documented and partially due to the challenges faced by biomedical researchers to establish themselves back at home, after training abroad. These challenges may result in the loss of highly trained individuals from LMICs and reduce the availability of local expertise to develop/inform best practices in health care and to direct locally relevant research. The path of training of LMIC researchers in high-income countries is well documented. However, strategies for a successful reintegration of biomedical researchers back to their home research institutions in LMICs are less clear. We report observations of workshops addressing repatriation needs of researchers returning to their home countries after training abroad during the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) 2017 and 2018 annual meetings. Strategies proposed include maintaining connections with the home research institution, ideally through collaborations, planning 18 months ahead before returning with grants applications submitted, and engaging in networking throughout the training period. In addition to presenting our observations, we hope to build a network to facilitate this process, compile resources, and identify expertise within the ASTMH to develop robust strategies to allow young biomedical researchers to flourish in LMICs.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85081946102&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85081946102&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0674
DO - 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0674
M3 - Review article
C2 - 31912776
AN - SCOPUS:85081946102
SN - 0002-9637
VL - 102
SP - 494
EP - 496
JO - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
JF - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
IS - 3
ER -