Collaboration and Partnerships

Training and Capacity Building

United States-Latin America Cancer Research Network

OLACPD Activities

Learn More about OLACPD

Advancing Cancer Research with Latin America

The Office of Latin American Cancer Program Development (OLACPD), an innovative partnership between the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Fogarty International Center (FIC), was launched in recognition of the opportunity to support and enhance cancer research and care in Latin America. The mission of OLACPD is to develop appropriate strategies, research and training programs, and other actions needed to advance cancer research and accelerate progress in reducing cancer for the mutual benefit of the United States and Latin America. OLACPD achieves its mission by collaborating with government agencies, researchers, and organizations to support a comprehensive and coordinated effort. Learn More About OLACPD >> ¹

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The Office of Latin American Cancer Program Development (OLACPD) coordinates, develops, and administers multidisciplinary cancer research programs for Latin America via partnerships with U.S. government agencies and non-profit organizations and through collaborative agreements with Latin American national health ministries, research institutions, universities, and scientists. Some of the proposed collaborative mechanisms include:

• International collaborations in clinical studies, basic cancer research, training programs, and advanced technologies and research infrastructure with Latin American institutions through Letters of Intent (LOI) with Ministries of Health

• Co-sponsorships to support cancer research in Latin America through Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with domestic and international foundations and organizations

• Co-sponsorships of workshops and conferences with domestic and international foundations and organizations through MOUs to support cancer research in Latin America including:
• American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
• Sociedad Latinoamericana y del Caribe de Oncología Médica (SLACOM)
• American Society of Hematology (ASH)
• American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
• Susan G. Komen for the Cure®

• Collaborations with NCI divisions, offices, programs, and centers to support training programs, clinical research, translational research, and population studies including NCI’s:
• Center for Scientific and Strategic Initiatives (CSSI)
• Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology ⁸ (CBIIT)

• Partnership to support and facilitate ongoing international cancer research endeavors in Latin America with Fogarty International Center ⁶ (FIC)

The Office of Latin American Cancer Program Development (OLACPD) promotes the development of a high-caliber work force in Latin America by providing opportunities for training and education.  The overall goal is to create a cadre of basic and clinical scientists who will, over time, assume leadership for the advancement of cancer research in their respective countries.  The capacity-building program strengthens sustainability for Latin American nations by facilitating the acquisition of appropriate tools, providing access to needed information, enhancing communication among investigators, and improving the research infrastructure in the region.

Fogarty International Center
NCI has established a partnership with the Fogarty International Center (FIC) ⁹ to implement OLACPD’s strategies for international research training. Specifically, this builds on Fogarty’s existing training programs using Fogarty’s experience to design and further expand career development programs. The training program encompasses different education and experience levels (postdoctoral, fellowship, sabbatical, visiting professorship) and is funded through different mechanisms. Current FIC programs include:

• Clinical Research Training Scholars and Fellows Program ¹⁰
• International Research Collaboration Award ¹¹
• International Non-communicable Chronic Diseases Research Training Program ¹²

OLACPD Strategy in Training
OLACPD training include three program categories which are important in addressing cancer concerns in Latin America: clinical research training, traditional postdoctoral and sabbatical training, and training in advanced methodology, technology, and technique.

These trainings will be provided both in the traditional “north–south” approach (Latin American investigators training at U.S. institutions) and in a “south–south” program type (in-country) promoted in Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, where appropriate facilities, support, and environment are accessible.  Balancing these types of programs will endorse and strengthen the research infrastructures in Latin America.

OLACPD Strategy in Capacity Building
The OLACPD strategy is to adapt advanced technologies and assist the Latin American countries in building in-country research capacity that can support basic, translational, and clinical cancer research through bilateral partnerships.  For example, virtual tumor and biospecimen banks will be enhanced or established. The U.S.-Latin America Cancer Research Network ⁴ will be encouraged to adapt established ‘best practices’ to design and maintain tissue repositories with well-annotated specimens.  OLACPD will also help support the establishment of cancer registries needed to maintain valid information on cancer prevalence and mortality rates in Latin America. These actions will be performed in accordance with the cultural and legal circumstances of each respective country.

Depending on resources and opportunities, several approaches will be used to acquire application technologies to establish centers of advanced technology.  Every effort will be made to leverage available resources and to develop appropriate business models ensuring future in-country support and self-sustainability.

The overall status of the research and development capabilities and supporting infrastructures for both research and health care delivery is quite diverse across Latin America.  A number of Latin American countries with various levels of research and health care delivery capacity have joined with the Office of Latin American Cancer Program Development (OLACPD) to form the U.S.-Latin America Cancer Research Network.  The Network initially includes Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Uruguay and is responsible for developing a comprehensive understanding of the status of the disease burden, cancer research, and cancer care infrastructures, and building collaborative relationships to support high-quality research and clinical studies.

Mission
The projects of the U.S.-Latin America Cancer Research Network will result in a better understanding of cancer incidence and mortality in the diverse populations that make up Latin America.  Over time, this knowledge will facilitate the design and conduct of clinical trials and will also provide direction to improve patient management of Hispanic populations in the United States.

Goals

• Increase the understanding of the status of the disease burden, cancer research, and cancer care infrastructures in Latin American countries
• Promote and leverage partnerships among Latin American countries impacting basic and clinical cancer research
• Build collaborative relationships through bilateral partnerships with Latin American governments to facilitate the co-development and in-country sustainability of needed resources and expertise for cancer research and the conduct of high-quality clinical studies

Selection of U.S.-Latin America Cancer Research Network Countries
U.S-Latin American Network Cancer Research Network countries, identified primarily on the basis of their in-country capacity to build working partnerships, represent the initial OLACPD program scope and include:  

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Chile
• Mexico
• Uruguay

The U.S.-Latin America Cancer Research Network will be expanded to additional countries in the future. More information on these countries and additional information about the multi-phase U.S.-Latin America Cancer Research Network projects can be found in the OLACPD Strategic Plan ¹³.

Timeline: 2008-2011

June 2008 – January 2009

• Conducted substantive discussions with the respective Ministry of Health, Secretary of Health, and Ministry of Science and Technology
• Conducted site visits to major research institutions as part of the due diligence and knowledge-building process
• Identified key contacts
• Initiated planning for workshop as the first steps in launching the U.S.-Latin America Cancer Research Network

January 2009 – February 2011

• Adapt standards and policies for biospecimen annotation, storage, and delivery
• Institute regional review or ethics committees
• Develop short-term training on the conduct of clinical trials and develop a Request for Application (RFA) or Program Announcement (PA) to enhance  clinical pilot projects
• Initiate the review and assessment of early pilot studies

January 2010 – February 2011

• Focus on capacity building in Latin America to support basic research, acquisition and integration of advanced technologies, and clinical research

This section provides the latest news and information about upcoming and recent events and other Office of Latin American Cancer Program Development (OLACPD) activities.

Upcoming Activities

Recent Activities

¹⁴ Download brochure (PDF) ¹⁴

The NCI and the Fogarty International Center ⁶ (FIC) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Office of Latin American Cancer Program Development (OLACPD) in 2008. Under this program, cancer research networks will be formed from academic laboratories, research institutes and centers, and hospital systems to provide the infrastructure to conduct and sustain high-quality cancer research throughout Latin America.

The OLACPD launch correlates well with the globalization of science and health care that is currently under way. Latin American countries have tremendous human resources—including clinical networks and specimen resources—that could greatly enhance global clinical cancer research efforts. OLACPD will strive to increase the capability of these countries to participate and partner in cancer research through activities including: the development of needed clinical trials networks, the enhancement of advanced technology centers, and development of multinational and multidisciplinary training programs.

Vision
To advance local and global initiatives to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer by facilitating the development of a comprehensive cancer research infrastructure in Latin America

Mission
To advance the mission of NCI by collaborating with government agencies, researchers, and organizations to further cancer research in Latin American countries

Goals and Objectives

• Increase the understanding of the status of disease burden, cancer research, and cancer care infrastructures in Latin American countries
• Build collaborative relationships through bilateral partnerships with Latin American governments that will support the co-development and in-country sustainability of the required resources and expertise to enable cancer research and the conduct of high-quality clinical studies
• Promote and leverage partnerships among Latin American countries in order to impact basic and clinical cancer research

OLACPD Strategic Plan
The OLACPD Strategic Plan ¹³ (PDF) details the status of cancer and cancer research in Latin America and defines the approach and strategies that will be utilized. The overall strategic scope of the program will engage governments, multiple institutions, organizations, and philanthropic partners across Latin America and the United States.  The multi-step plan of specific actions and milestones will be implemented over a 3-year period to allow for development of strategies to move towards a fully sustainable cancer research effort in Latin America. The NCI remains committed to supporting international cooperation in cancer research which has continued to play a vital role in the global struggle against cancer.

Leadership
The OLACPD is under the leadership of Jorge Gomez, M.D., Ph.D. ¹⁵, who brings to the position a long history of supporting important scientific research between prestigious institutions in the United States and other countries.

Questions? Contact the Office of Latin American Cancer Program Development:

By email:
nciolacpd@mail.nih.gov

By mail:
Office of Latin American Cancer Program Development, National Cancer Institute
31 Center Dr.
Rm. 10A31 MSC 2582
Bethesda, MD 20852-2582

By phone:
301-594-9944