# Data Science for Child Health Now in Ghana (DS-CHANGE)

> **NIH NIH U2R** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2021 · $349,854

## Abstract

PROGRAM ABSTRACT - Data Science for Child Health Now in Ghana (DS-CHANGE) Training Program
Our goal for the DS-CHANGE Training Program is to build data science capacity at Kwame Nkrumah University
of Science and Technology (KNUST) and develop a cadre of qualified data scientists focused on child health in
Ghana. We will develop this cadre of scientists with mentored training and experiential learning that cross-sect
biomedical data science disciplines (applied mathematics, computer science, clinical informatics,
biostatistics, epidemiology), health conditions (malaria, injury and congenital anomalies), and biomedical
domains (e.g. pediatrics, parasitology). Faculty and graduate student trainees will tackle computationally
complex child health problems in Ghana. Our program focuses on 3 of the top 10 causes of child death/disability
in Ghana including malaria, injury, and congenital malformations (orofacial clefts). We aim to:
Aim 1: Deliver a comprehensive mentored interdisciplinary training program that cross-sects data science
methodologies, health conditions, and biomedical domains to a diverse group of Ghanaian graduate-level
MS and PhD trainees.
Aim 2: Increase KNUST faculty and institutional capacity in biomedical data science by (a) facilitating
cross-training in data science methodologies; (b) developing deeper expertise in biomedical data science
methods; and (c) building teaching and mentoring proficiency in biomedical data science.
Aim 3: Develop proficiency of faculty and graduate trainees in effective methods of team science so that
interdisciplinary teams with minimal overlapping expertise can function synergistically.
Collaboration: This program builds on established collaborations between KNUST and the University of
Washington (UW), Seattle Children's Hospital and Research Institute, and the non-profit Smile Train. Approach:
KNUST graduate trainees will obtain a Master or PhD degree in data science from KNUST that will be bolstered
by a 3 month externship in Seattle with a thesis on a real world Ghana child health problem. KNUST faculty
trainees will participate in faculty exchanges with UW faculty. Select KNUST faculty will complete a UW
Professional Certificate Program in a data science domain. All trainees will participate in a monthly Zoom seminar
to enhance interdisciplinary effectiveness. Impact: We will train 13 graduate trainees and 16 faculty for a robust
biomedical data science graduate program at KNUST. Trainees will compete successfully for research funding,
will contribute to the evidence base in child health, and will take up positions as leaders in data science and child
health at KNUST and other Ghanaian institutions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10319442
- **Project number:** 1U2RTW012129-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Peter Amoako-Yirenkyi
- **Activity code:** U2R (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $349,854
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-22 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10319442

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10319442, Data Science for Child Health Now in Ghana (DS-CHANGE) (1U2RTW012129-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10319442. Licensed CC0.

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