International Exchange

The Applied Research Program's (ARP) collaborations with scientists in other countries provide important opportunities for developing cancer prevention and control interventions that are appropriate to the wide variety of cultures, socio-economic characteristics, and infrastructure found around the world. Sensitivity to these contexts is critical to translating science into practice in the international arena.

Welcoming International Scientists to ARP

In early 2006, the director of a large screening program in the Piedmont of Italy, visited ARP to explore opportunities for collaborative research. He met with ARP staff to discuss the evaluation of screening and treatment quality and talked with scientists in the Division of Cancer Prevention about collaborating in biomarker studies. These discussions were valuable because they identified common problems, clarified differences due to the differences in the two health care delivery systems, and highlighted opportunities for training and future collaboration.

In 1997, a German scientist visited ARP as part of her work to develop a short tool that could be used in a population study to assess intake of various fat components. She compared different analytical methods to identify important foods, and conducted analyses on German dietary intake data. Her work resulted in the development of a new instrument, and a comparative validity study, reported in two journal papers.

ARP Scientists Abroad

The Mansfield Foundation was created in 1983 to promote understanding and cooperation among the US and Asian nations. The Mansfield Fellowship is awarded annually to up to 10 U.S. government employees, who spend a year working full-time in a Japanese government office, after a year of intensive Japanese language and area studies. Since the Fellowship was established, 70 fellows from 20 different agencies and departments have participated in the program.

Dr. Deirdre Lawrence, an ARP epidemiologist, is a 2005-2007 Mansfield Fellow. She has been focusing on Japan's cancer control policies and exploring Japan's efforts to reduce tobacco use and other lifestyle factors associated with cancer. During her fellowship, she will work with Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Shizuoka Prefecture Government Office, the National Institute of Public Health, and the National Cancer Center. Dr. Lawrence is the first NIH staff member to be selected as a Mansfield Fellow.