Twenty final-year students and staff members from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Nursing Sciences took part in the Tirisano Training Research Programme (TTP) from 25 to 28 June 2018 at the Indaba Hotel.

The main aim of the NWU’s involvement in the programme is to increase the clinical and research skills of South African post-bachelor, master’s and doctoral-level students and of early career mental health professionals.

The Tirisano training programme is a collaborative training programme between the University of California (UCLA) and several South African universities and institutions, including the University of Cape Town (UCT), Stellenbosch University, the Human Sciences Research Council, and the NWU.

The TTP was developed by the Fogarty International Centre after recognising the need for collaborative research training programmes between the United States and institutions in low and middle-income countries that focus on chronic non-communicable diseases (NCD).

“Expanding upon the infrastructure and lessons learned from our Fogarty-funded Phodiso trauma and health disparities research training programme for South African scholars, the TTP focuses on chronic stress and non-communicable chronic mental health disorders including substance abuse, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and HIV,” said Prof Lufuno Makhado, acting research director in the School of Nursing Sciences. “The TTP addresses the dearth of South African researchers by targeting the “pipeline” challenge and training scholars at diverse points of the academic career path.”|

“Guided by a multi-dimensional conceptual model of risks and resilience resources, trainees are provided the tools to develop and test novel models and methods to implement effective substance abuse and mental health interventions within the South African context,” added Prof Makhado.

NWU students and staff members with staff from UCLA during the recent Tirisano Training Programme.