Australian High Commissioner Visit PNGIMR Headquaters | PNGIMR getting ready for 40th Anniversary | PNGIMR recieves K35M for research | Professor Siba meets with IRB of UHC MC in USA | Professor Siba meets visits PNGIMR Madang | First EHP HIV/AIDS Stakeholders meeting | 18 graduate as HIV counselors | The Flame of HIV/AIDS-Speech by Gerald Saleu | This quater in Pictures | Grace attends workshop in Melbourne | Mr Tavul attends workshop in Cambodia | PNGIMR celebrates openday with DWU | PNGIMR joins DWU to celebrate open day in picture |Staff graduate from UPNG |Visitors |Staff going Finish |New Staff |Community Service

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Professor Siba meets with IRB of UHC MC in the USA

Secretary of the Medical Research Advisory Council (MRAC) and Director of the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research (PNGIMR), Professor Peter Siba met with representatives of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of University Hospital Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio (USA) last month, whilst attending scientific meetings in Washington D.C.

This collegial exchange helped to foster greater understanding and answer questions from the IRB in Cleveland regarding the studies conducted by colleagues such as Dr James Kazura, Peter Zimmerman, Moses Bockarie and Christopher King in Papua New Guinea.

Professor Siba was able to explain and clarify PNG approaches to informed consent of subjects especially children, cultural factors impacting the research process, and the ownership, storage, and use of research samples obtained from the citizens of Papua New Guinea who participate in these collaborative research studies between the PNGIMR and Case Western Reserve University.

He also had the opportunity to sit in a meeting of the University Hospitals Case Medical Center’s IRB and learn first hand how an academic medical center’s IRB reviews research studies conducted outside the United States.

Through his discussions with the representatives of the IRB, Professor Siba will work with the UHC IRB to establish a process whereby the members of PNGIMR’s IRB will be able to take a direct role in providing cultural reviews of studies to be conducted in Papua New Guinea.

The MRAC and PNGIMR’s IRB review studies for ethical and scientific value to be conducted in Papua New Guinea.

This additional review of research studies for cultural and social issues that could impact the rights of research subjects will help ensure that research studies conducted in PNG respect the culture and values of the citizens of Papua New Guinea while at the same time fostering vital health research in the country.