Flow Cytometry Workshops in Africa

Project Summary Flow cytometry is a specialized technology that characterizes cells on a single-cell basis and is heavily used in the fields of immunology, infectious diseases and cancer biology. As flow cytometry technology has advanced, the multiplexing capability has markedly expanded allowing for more markers to be examined simultaneously. These advances have increased the complexity of experimental design of and of the expertise required to appropriately analyze and detect potential artifacts hidden in the resulting data. Advanced training is critical to appropriately implement these technologies in resource-limited settings where exposure to scientists and mentors with the requisite expertise is limited. Although complete mastery can take years, the practical as well as the theoretical tools needed to achieve competency can be taught in a relatively short workshop. The African Flow Cytometry Workshop has been held biennially since 2005 in Cape Town, South Africa with the aim of enhancing both the theoretical and technical flow cytometry knowledge of African immunologists so that this cutting-edge technology can be applied to critical studies being conducted on the continent. This technology has unique capabilities to help address scientific questions of particular relevance in Africa given the high prevalence of disease caused by the three major global pathogens, HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. As flow cytometry instruments with greater capabilities have become more available in Africa, the number of scientists needing this advanced knowledge has also increased. Training opportunities that exist for African investigators remain very limited and can be very costly. The African Flow Cytometry Workshop is structured over five full days and consists of a combination of lectures and hands-on tutorials with homework assigned each evening and an initial and final exam. Participant numbers are limited to 20, to ensure appropriate interaction between faculty and students and to facilitate peer-to-peer interactions. We have conducted nine previous workshops and this experience has demonstrated the need for this type of training and has shown successful outcomes for many prior participants (Nemes et al, 2016). As in prior workshops, the selection process is conducted in a thoughtful way in order to choose participants across geographic regions in Africa who are likely to apply their training and train others in their home laboratory or institution. In fact, a survey of prior workshop participants demonstrated that almost 90% of our survey respondents reported having trained peers at their home institution after the workshop, often by adapting teaching materials provided by the workshop. In an effort to perpetuate the training, we have incorporated a strategy to invite and select high-achieving past participants to join the workshop faculty, which has served to deepen their understanding of flow cytometry and provide them with leadership training. The workshop training is therefore maximized through a “train the trainer” model and through the development of a specialized network of African flow cytometry experts in the field of infectious disease.