For Immediate Release

November 10, 2008

Global Health Research Center in Central Asia Awarded NIDA Fellowship

New York, NY – The Global Health Research Center in Central Asia (GHRCCA), is pleased to announce that Dr. Mahkbatsho Bahkromov, the Center’s representative in Tajikistan, has been awarded the National Institute of Drug Abuse INVEST fellowship. Dr. El Bassel, director of the Center at Columbia University School of Social Work, will be Dr. Bahkromov’s mentor.

The INVEST Drug Abuse Research Fellowship is awarded annually to a small number of applicants, ranging from two to five selected candidates each year. The fellowship aims to bring foreign scientists to the United States to equip them with the skills to attain funding and implement their own projects in their home country. The one-year program provides extensive research training, professional development activities and grant-writing instruction. Fellows spend the first six months at the mentor's institution and the remaining time back at their home country implementing a pilot project.

"We are delighted that Dr. Mahkbatsho Bahkromov has been awarded the fellowship. This fellowship fits well with the mission of the Global Health Research Center for Central Asia (GHRCAA),” says Dr. El Bassel. “The GHRCCA goals are to increase the number of number of drug abuse and HIV researchers and build research capacity in the region. Dr Mahkbatsho Bahkromov is committed to achieving these goals”.

Dr. Bahkromov completed his medical training in Tajikistan and completed a Masters of Science in International Health Policy and Management from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts through a Muskie Fellowship Award.  Currently he is a study investigator for the NIDA-funded HIV Prevention with Heroin Using Female Sex Workers project in Tajikistan.  Dr. Bahkromov is involved in all aspects of the research, including managing and training local fieldworkers, research design, data analysis, and report writing. While at CUSSW, Dr. Bahkromov will be focusing on learning more about prevention interventions and quantitative data analysis.

For more information about GHRCCA, please visit http://www.ghrcca.columbia.edu.  To interview Dr. El-Bassel, please contact Jeannie Hii at [email protected] or 212-851-2327.

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For 110 years, the Columbia University School of Social Work has been the leader in practice and policy. Located in New York City, the School offers Master’s and Doctoral programs which are nationally and internationally recognized for their excellence. With a signature curriculum and far-reaching field education experience, CUSSW continues to be at the forefront of clinical practice, public policy, teaching, research and social work innovation in the 21st Century.