International Research Training Center for Botanicals and Chronic Diseases in Indonesia, Ecuador and Tajikistan

This renewal builds on a highly effective research training program conducted in Indonesia and Tajikistan during the last funding cycle. We will leverage accumulated expertise, training materials, international networks, and online and in-person training curriculum and instruction materials to fully incorporate Ecuador, added to the program last year through the NIH Administrative Supplement. The Tajikistan program, successfully operating for the last nine years, will transition to full financial and administrative independence under the leadership of our former trainees who have assumed key positions in Tajik medical research. Our expanded Center for Botanicals and Chronic Diseases (CBCD) will synergize existing collaborations and provide quality international experience for our trainees. Training will focus on evidence- based, rigorous studies of local botanicals for the prevention and treatment of common inflammation- associated chronic diseases and disorders, such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis, intestinal and neurological disorders, and chronic pain. CBCD’s research training will be based on four cores: Ethics Core, Botanical and Analytical Core, Preclinical Core, and Clinical Core, mostly based on synchronous and asynchronous online courses and instructions. CBCD will expand its training curriculum in Responsible Conduct of Research and Methods for Enhancing Reproducibility. Our Recruitment Committee and Administrative Team will strengthen minority recruitment efforts. In the next five years, we will train 26 scientists in Indonesia (11 M.S. and 15 Ph.D.), 8 in Ecuador (7 M.S. and 1 Ph.D.), and 5 in Tajikistan (all postdocs). This major increase in the number of trainees from the previous cycle is possible due to the greater efficiency of our online training, improvements in program administration, invaluable financial match from the participating countries, assistance from our former trainees and Rutgers graduate students and postdocs, and the incorporation of AI-assisted learning. CBCD will involve three U.S. institutions - Rutgers University, Pennington Biomedical Research Center/LSU, and Eugenio María de Hostos Community College (CUNY); four major universities in Indonesia; one in Ecuador; and two higher education institutions in Tajikistan. CBCD will open its distance learning courses, online training, and in-country events to a wider audience of local scientists and health professionals, ensuring broader community outreach. Our primary aim is to provide a sustainable foundation for intensive research training and retention of local scientists in the interdisciplinary studies of botanicals for the prevention and treatment of NCDs. CBCD’s integrated training program will leverage resources generated through other NIH-funded programs shared between participating U.S. universities and take advantage of the worldwide research training infrastructure established by the Global Institute for Bioexploration.