the benefits and challenges of
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION
T
ronto) is a clinician scientist workhe concept of international collabgium) works full time while pursuing ing in pediatric rheumatology, where oration invokes the greatest ideals her PhD. Nayab brings together varshe studies rare childhood diseases of science: working together on global ious groups for a common goal: the through the lens of translational imissues, aligning the agendas of diverse prevention and treatment of cervical munology. There are few scientists that groups, and developing a more robust cancer. Part of Nayab’s job is to orgaexamine ultra-rare diseases this way, understanding of the world. While nize meetings with experts to discuss reflected in limited grant dollars globmany research questions could bentools for HPV prevention, including ally. According to Yeung, it became apefit from the breadth of international implementing HPV vaccines in lowcollaboration, we must considand middle-income countries. er what constitutes a successful This means collaborating with "The concept of international collaboration collaboration. What challenges industry, vaccine manufacturinvokes the greatest ideals of science." do these researchers and trainees ers, and NGOs across contiface when building and mainnents. parent that “none of the investigators taining complex, multifaceted colwould move forward unless they all laborations? Ultimately, what can be Both Nayab and Dr. Yeung face chalmove forward as a collaboration, rathproduced from this work that non-collenges in the pursuit of international er than competition.” With this goal laborative work cannot accomplish? collaboration. According to Dr. Yeung, established, collaboration began with harmonizing procedures is the most biospecimen collection, a fundamental We seek to answer these questions difficult challenge, and the least gloritask upon which all their research was through the perspective of researchers ous. It requires tedious work that will built. “If you cannot harmonize the at different levels of the collaborative not receive high impact attention, and process. Dr. Rae Yeung (SickKids, Tobasic foundations of what you do, you the resulting low-impact publications cannot collaborate,” Yeung says. Dr. are not great for career development. Yeung went on to develop UCAN (Understanding Childhood Arthritis NetFurthermore, many challenges arise work), an international translational in sharing collaborative data: regularesearch federation encompassing tory, ethical, and legal concerns need 50 countries, in which memto be addressed across institutions bers engage with one another in and all levels of government. For Dr. shared principles of research. Dr. Yeung, this necessitated a full legal Yeung leads UCAN and other consorteam to manage 70+ contracts between tia to achieve her scientific goals, one Canada and the European Union. Lanof which is to bridge the “gap in treatguage differences are also considered, ment approaches and support transas patient questionnaires and consent lational research for all children with forms must be accurately translated. juvenile arthritis.” To overcome these administrative hurdles, Dr. Yeung is supported by fullAcross the Atlantic, Dur-e-Nayab time project managers, biospeciWaheed (University of Antwerp, Belmen teams, funding agencies,
18 IMMpress Vol. 11 No. 3 2024
