AUA SPH Hosts Operational Research Capacity Building Symposium

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YEREVAN, Armenia – On July 3, 2019, the Structured Operational Research and Training IniTiative (SORT IT) of the World Health Organization Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO/TDR), in collaboration with the Turpanjian School of Public Health (SPH), American University of Armenia (AUA), organized a Satellite Symposium at the 5th International Medical Congress of Armenia. The symposium aimed to enhance operational research capacity in Armenia and the region making countries “data-rich, information-rich and action-rich” and improving public health.

Dr. Garry Aslanyan (MPH ‘97), manager of partnerships and governance at WHO/TDR, Geneva, Switzerland, made the opening remarks at the symposium. SPH Dean Dr. Varduhi Petrosyan, welcomed the participants, emphasizing the SPH mission to prepare leaders in health services research and evaluation to facilitate evidence-based public health practice in Armenia and the region. She highlighted the MPH graduates’ significant contribution to SORT IT. Dr. Karapet Davtyan (MPH ‘09), SORT IT alumnus and WHO consultant on health information system, presented SORT IT international and local projects. Dr. Efrat Shadmi, co-editor-in-chief of the International Journal for Equity in Health, and Dr. Salvatore Rubino, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, made presentations on how to publish research results in international peer-reviewed journals.

The second part of the event was a poster presentation session by Armenian and Ukrainian National SORT IT course alumni and AUA Master of Public Health (MPH) program graduates. The participants had an opportunity to examine the posters, talk to the researchers, and vote for the best poster. Sose Margaryan, MD, Armenian SORT IT alumna 2018, received the best poster award. The title of her SORT IT study was “When will the coughing stop? Characteristics of children with pertussis (whooping cough) in Armenia (2014-2018).” The prize for the best poster award was the book “Gordis Epidemiology” by David D. Celentano and Moyses Szklo from the Department of Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The cover of the book includes AUA President Emeritus Haroutune Armenian’s painting.

The videorecording  of the event is available here.

The AUA Turpanjian School of Public Health works actively to improve population health and health services in Armenia and the region through interdisciplinary education and development of public health professionals to be leaders in public health, health services research and evaluation, and health care delivery and management.