The Data Science for Child Health (DS-CHANGE) is an NIH-funded five-year training program and a unique initiative focusing on child health between the University of Washington and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana. It includes developing new degree programs and faculty exchanges between UW and KNUST faculty.
The program is led by Drs. Christy McKinney (UW Pediatrics), Peter Amoako-Yirenkyi (KNUST), and Peter Donkor (KNUST). The program focuses on three of the top 10 causes of child death/disability in Ghana, including malaria, injury, and congenital malformations (orofacial clefts). The first cohort includes nine master's and PhD students from KNUST who recently completed a quarter of training in Seattle. Trainees benefited from internships at Seattle Children's Research Institute, lab experiences, and coursework at the University of Washington.
Graduates are expected to contribute to the evidence base in child health and take leadership positions in data science and child health at KNUST and other Ghanaian institutions.
