The work was multi-disciplinary requiring expertise from a wide variety of backgrounds. Our team included clinical trials, clinical epidemiology, basic science researchers with expertise in tuberculosis and antimicrobial resistance. Our investigational team includes expertise in diagnosis and management of TB; clinical evaluation of TB diagnostics; design and conduct of large randomised controlled trials; laboratory TB and AMR diagnostics; data management and analysis.
Investigators
Dr Titus H Divala was the chief investigator. He was responsible for protocol development, coordination and conduct of the studies, governance, data management, data analysis and results dissemination. Dr Divala is a clinician with extensive experience conducting clinical trials and epidemiological studies aimed at describing clinical challenges and identifying solutions for infectious diseases. Prior to ACT-TB, Dr Divala had practiced medicine for over 8 years in Malawi and identifying TB cases and putting them on treatment was a daily job. The investigational team included experts from multiple institutions as follows:
- Prof Katherine L Fielding: a seasoned TB statistician and clinical trialist, and the Director for the LSHTM TB Centre.
- Prof Elizabeth L Corbett: a seasoned TB clinical epidemiologist and a Wellcome Trust Senior Fellow.
- Prof Neil French: a seasoned pneumococcal and antimicrobial resistance expert and head of Clinical Infection Microbiology & Immunology
- Dr Derek J Sloan: clinician with detailed local clinical and research experience in tuberculosis and pharmacology.
- Dr Marriott Nliwasa: clinician, with experience conducting studies in the study setting and the head of the Helse Nord Tuberculosis Initiative.
- Dr Peter MacPherson: consultant in public health medicine and experienced clinical investigator, and head of Public Health at Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust.
- Prof Jon Øyvind Odland: Epidemiologist and honorary professor at Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
- Dr Chikondi Kandulu: an experienced clinician who apart from being an investigator took the role of study physician and staff lead.
Study staff
Study implementation required a range skills. We had a study coordinator Ms Sabina Kadzuwa, research nurses (Dokani Chavula Siyeni and Joseph Kanyangalika), research assistants (Chifundo Mphalapala and Mercy Malopa), TB laboratory technicians (Doris Shani, Sanderson Chilanga, Mercy Kamdolozi and Rowland Mjumira), AMR laboratory technicians (Arthur Chiwaya and Comfort Brown) Data Officer (Nyengo Chavula), Data Managers (Brewster Moyo and Lingstone Chiume), Radiographers (Robert Saizi and Scot), Pharmacists (Masiye John Ndaferankhande and Maureen Ndalama), finace and accounts (Jones Chakholoma and Linda Kayere), and sample transport network (Frank Chikapa, Ken Kaswaswa and Amos). We thank The Global Health Network for providing a free team training platform that allowed all these staff members attain Good Clinical Practice, Data Management, Trial monitoring, and other specialty/department-specific skills. We particularly thank Nina Jamieson and Bonny Baker for introducing our team to this amazing platform.