CAIHR Celebrates 25 Years of Excellence
Onward and Upward
October 1, 2024 marked 25 years since the University of the West Indies formalized their decision to amalgamate existing research units on the Mona Campus (the Tropical Metabolism Research Unit and the Sickle Cell Unit) and create a new Unit (Epidemiology Research to form the Tropical Medicine Research Institute. The Institute went on to incorporate the (George Alleyne) Chronic Disease Research Centre in Barbados which enabled regional expansion of our work.
The research agendas for many health research units established in UK Colonies in the mid-20th Centre was based on the tenure and interests of the principal investigator; with projects built around the existing infrastructure and the interests of the lead investigator. With the process of time and changing investigator interests many of these Units, set up as research outposts and staffed primarily by expatriate investigators, were short-lived and no longer exist. The Tropical Metabolism Research Unit (the oldest component of the Institute now over 60 years old) is one of a handful of Units that did not suffer this fate with the retirement of its founder. Professor John Waterloo made a deliberate effort to ensure TMRU’s sustainability by encouraging the University of the West Indies to maintain the Unit and deliberately engaging local early career investigators, encouraging their academic development and promoting them into leadership positions.
The decision made by the leadership of the University of the West Indies in 1999 to consolidate the Research Units on the Mona Campus and the CDRC in Barbados to create a shared academic, administrative, laboratory and physical infrastructure was an excellent one. The vision of creating an Institute in which the “whole is more than the sum of its parts” is to be commended and can serve as a model for other research centres within the Institution. At its formation the Institute was given a mandate to (i) increase the output of research in major areas affecting the health of regional peoples, (ii) increase the number of trained research scientists working in health and (iii) facilitate the uptake of research into policy, programmes and practice
In reviewing our achievements over the last 25 years, the TMRI, rebranded as the Caribbean Institute for Health Research (CAIHR) in 2017, has indeed lived up the expectations of the University. As the lead health research institute in the Caribbean we have been able to compete for and successfully acquire grants from the UK Medical Research Council, The Wellcome Trust, The UK National Institute for Health Research, The US National Institutes of Health, Canadian Institute for Health Research / International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Bill and Melinda Gates, LEGO, International Development Bank, European Union and other global, local and regional research foundations. CAIHR remains a preferred research partner for many International Colleagues, enhancing their work and providing leadership in our areas of expertise. Our work has contributed to the UWI’s revenue revolution – allowing us to hire project staff to prosecute our research agenda, provide opportunities for training and development of the next generation of Caribbean Scientists and Health Professionals, build the University Infrastructure though acquisition of equipment and enhance the University’s administrative and grants management capacity though training opportunities and direct and indirect fees from these projects. Through partnership with the UWI Campus Faculties (including but not limited to Medical Sciences) and Institutes we have produced research findings that are relevant to the Caribbean with Global Impact. This has enhanced the reputation of the University of the West Indies and the Caribbean as a place of scientific excellence. We continue to build regional capacity for research through our graduate training programmes in Epidemiology and Nutrition, Fellowship Exchanges and Research Mentorship Programmes. More recently we have partnered with the Global Campus to increase our reach though the provision of the fully online Postgraduate Diploma in Health Research. We are actively working with key stakeholders to provide data that informs policies on Traditional and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Non-Communicable Diseases, Nutrition, Child Development, Violence Prevention and Climate Change.
Despite the challenges experienced in the development of this enterprise, CAIHR can look forward to a bright future built on the legacies and reputations of our founders and world class investigators and the spirit of excellence and collaboration within and outside the institute. We will continue to strive to live up to our mission to “enhance the health and well-being of Caribbean and global populations through innovative research, training and strategic partnerships, providing timely knowledge dissemination and translation for sustainable development”.
Here’s to the next 25 years!
Professor Marshall Tulloch-Reid
Director, CAIHR
