About Us

iCREATE: Increasing Capacity for Injury Research in Eastern Europe project expands on five successful years of building injury research and education capacity in the countries of Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova. 

This project builds on a diverse and successful infrastructure in injury and violence research and training, including a strong history of collaboration. 

Our three LMIC partners have developed a solid base of research in the previous funding cycle, which will further help them to advance research and knowledge in the injury and violence prevention field during the second cycle of funding.

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The project

It addresses the health priority of violence and injury in the Caucasus region, which is strategically important given its location between Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. 

As LMICs, these countries have disproportionately high injury and violence rates, accompanied by a disproportionately high burden on individuals, families, and society due to a relatively poor health infrastructure (especially in rural areas), and lack of pre-hospital and rehabilitation services. 

Our program will expand leadership growth and build strong networks of collaborators, which will contribute to a sustainable infrastructure.

Dulf et. al., 2021 | Cociu et al., 2020 | Peek-Asa et al., 2022 | Burkadze et al., 2021 

Aims

The project aims to:

Train a critical mass of researchers from Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova to conduct innovative research;

Facilitate the transition of trainees to positions of leadership; 

Develop the partner institutions as sustainable centers of excellence in injury research and education; and,

Engage the partner institutions to translate the results of injury research into effective injury and violence prevention and treatment programs.

Through these training activities, we anticipate:

Expanded interdisciplinary research and training; 

Capacity to translate, disseminate, and evaluate evidence-based prevention and intervention programs; 

Capacity to develop evidence-based and best practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of injuries;

A coordinated network of agencies and stakeholders engaged in injury prevention efforts.

Research focus areas

Our original topic areas of focus on road traffic injury, interpersonal violence, and acute care will be expanded to include alcohol use. Additionally, the project will have another methodological focus to include implementation science. Our program will prioritize MPH and Ph.D. training to build research and leadership skills focused on injury and violence prevention.

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Partners

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Advisory Board Members

Edith Parker, Dr PH, University of Iowa, IA, USA

Erika Molteni, PhD,  King’s College, London, UK

Nina Jovanovic, MD,  MPH, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Petru Sandu, MD,  PhD, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Razvan Chereches, MD, PhD, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Principal investigators

Artashes Tadevosyan, MD, PhD, Mkhitar Heratsi Yerevan State Medical University, Armenia

Cara Hamann, PhD, University of Iowa, USA

Corinne Peek-Asa, PhD, University of California San Diego, USA

Diana Dulf, PhD, Babes-Bolyai University, Romania

Nino Chikhladze, PhD, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Georgia

Serghei Cebanu, PhD, MPH, Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Moldova

Starting/Ending date

September 2016 – August 2026 (the project started first in 2005 under the name of ICTIRT International Collaborative Trauma and Injury Research and Training)

Current funding cycles:  

Funding

Funder: Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Grant Number: 5D43TW007261

iCREATE

Increasing Capacity for Injury Research in Eastern Europe

Contact

Dr. Diana Dulf
diana.dulf@ubbcluj.ro
Pandurilor 7 Street, 9th Floor, Room 910, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

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