RESEARCH GROUPS

(Source: research group directories at CNPq)

Working Conditions and Health

Recent studies have been conducted to investigate working conditions within the public health sector, in elementary schools, legal and judicial sector, and urban public transport sector. Such products contribute to the development of human resource policies in health within the Brazilian Ministry of Health and the Pan American Health Organization. Furthermore, these investigations provide responses to the demands of inputs for actions by the Ministry of Labor and labor unions with respect to interventions at the municipal and federal public service levels. Refresher courses are offered in partnership with aforementioned institutions, addressing Management of Working Conditions and Workers Health. Courses were offered at the local (City Administration of Belo Horizonte) and national (Ministry of Planning, Budget and Management – MPOG and Unified Health System – SUS) levels.

Group leader: Ada Ávila Assunção

Contact phone: + 55 31 3409-9112

CNPQ Research Group Directory: http://dgp.cnpq.br/dgp/espelhogrupo/5391194886012562

Health Economics Research Group (GPES)

The GPES at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais comprises faculty members, professionals and undergraduate students from the following areas: Health (Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences), Economics and Law. GPES projects are based on interinstitutional and multidisciplinary approaches for the development of scientific investigations and studies aimed to support the decision-making process and the equitable allocation of resources in health systems and services management. ONGOING PROJECTS: 1. Development and implementation of a database from the National Center of Science & Technology Information and Health Economics – supported by the Ministry of Health and the United Kingdom Department for International Development. 2. Economic and Epidemiological Assessment of Renal Replacement Therapies – RRS in Brazil – partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Health Care Secretariat (SAS), funded by the Brazilian National Health Fund. 3. Scientific and technological development in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): An analysis of the progression of knowledge, dissemination and implementation of this technology in Brazil; supported by CNPq; 4. Pharmacoeconomic and epidemiological assessment on the High-cost Medication Program, Brazil 2000-2004; 5. Equitable access and use of high-complexity/high cost procedures at SUS-Brazil: analysis of kidney transplantation – supported by CNPq; 6. Evaluation of care provision to patients undergoing Renal Replacement Therapy at SUS in Belo Horizonte – supported by FAPEMIG; 7. The judicialization of healthcare: Impact of lawsuits on the national pharmaceutical care policy: clinical management and medicalization of the legal system – supported by CNPq; 8. Evaluation of coverage and quality of, as well as access to pharmaceutical care, as determined by legal decisions in the State of Minas Gerais – supported by FAPEMIG. 9. Evaluation of effectiveness and safety of the monoclonal antibodies adalimumab, etanercept, infliximab and rituximab employed for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis in Brazil and Minas Gerais – supported by CNPq.

Group leaders: Eli Iola Gurgel Andrade and Mariangela Leal Cherchiglia

Contact phone: + 55 31 3409-9689

CNPQ Research Group Directory: http://dgp.cnpq.br/dgp/espelhogrupo/3532419271030305

Chronic and Occupational Disease Research Group (GERMINAL)

GERMINAL gathers researchers from Brazilian and international universities with academic and scientific background in chronic non-communicable diseases (NCD). Scientific production pertaining to the following areas: 1) Epidemiology of NCD, particularly cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, 2) Aging and health, 3) Social determinants of health, and 4) Pharmacoepidemiology. The group scientific production has brought significant contributions to Brazilian public health in several areas. In the field of chronic diseases, the group  coordinates the ELSA project (Longitudinal Study on Adult Health – a multicenter study involving six Brazilian state capitals). The ELSA project began in 2008 with the primary objective of investigating downstream and upstream risk factors of NCD in the country, with funding mainly from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Science and Technology. Researchers in the GERMINAL group also develop studies and projects involving some national databases, such as PENSE, PNAD, SIM, PNS and AIH, among others.

Group leaders: Sandhi Maria Barreto

Contact phone: + 55 31 3409-9140

CNPQ Research Group Directory: http://dgp.cnpq.br/dgp/espelhogrupo/3349110821213118

Epidemiology and Health Assessment Research Group (GPEAS)

GPEAS brings together a multidisciplinary team of professionals working at different UFMG departments and units (Medicine, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nursing and Statistics) and other organizations (Municipal Health Authority of Belo Horizonte, Fundação Hospitalar de Minas Gerais, State Health Department of Minas Gerais, and FIOCRUZ). GPEAS comprises researchers with extensive background in epidemiological research, health status analysis and evaluation of health systems and services. The GPEAS major areas of interest include health services evaluation, epidemiology of infectious, parasitic and respiratory diseases (e.g., HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, sexually-transmitted infections – STI, Chagas disease and Cystic Fibrosis) and epidemiology of chronic degenerative diseases. GPEAS gives similar weight to quantitative and qualitative research, in an effort to build an interface between both approaches. The group also offers courses and training workshops in partnership with national and international organizations for continued education of healthcare professionals. With the purpose of integrating teaching-research-services, inter-institutional coordination of scientific knowledge production and circulation is encouraged to achieve the desired consolidation of communication and collaboration channels between the university and health care institutions.

Group leaders: Mark Drew Crosland Guimarães and Elisabeth Barboza França

Contact phone: + 55 31 3409-9109

CNPQ Research Group Directory: http://dgp.cnpq.br/dgp/espelhogrupo/1234584112448919

Center for Studies in Public Health and Aging (NESPE)/FIOCRUZ

The NESPE group focuses on Elderly Health and comprises researchers and students from Fundação Oswaldo Cruz) and Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. NESPE develops research projects on Epidemiology of Aging and Anthropology of Elderly Health. The main ongoing research project of NESPE is the Projeto Bambuí (Bambuí Project), a population-based cohort study on aging aimed to identify environmental and genetic predictors of adverse events in elderly health. NESPE is the Collaborating Center of the Health Surveillance Secretariat of the Ministry of Health in Epidemiology of Aging. As such, it conducts investigations based on large national databases for the diagnosis of health conditions affecting the elderly and the use of health services by this cohort, as well as for the development of follow-up indicators. For further information, visit NESPE homepage at www.cpqrr.fiocruz.br/NESPE

Group leader: Maria Fernanda Furtado de Lima e Costa

Contact phone: + 55 31 3409 – 9102

CNPQ Research Group Directory: http://dgp.cnpq.br/dgp/espelhogrupo/0183988786273813

Epidemiology Research Group/Urban Health Observatory – UFMG

The Epidemiology Research Group was established in 1986 and incorporated the Urban Health Observatory of Belo Horizonte (OSUBH) in 2002. This multidisciplinary research group includes researchers from several UFMG institutions and departments as well as managers of the Municipal Health Authority of Belo Horizonte (SMSA). The group mission is to produce knowledge on urban health and its determinants in order to support public policies aimed at reducing intra-urban iniquities and to train professionals to work in this field. Scientific investigations and studies are designed to promote broader understanding of social and environmental conditions of urban life for implementation of specific strategies in interventions and public policies, thus  providing empirical bases to assess which urban interventions work best within specific contexts. Since its creation, the group has been directly connected to the Graduate Program (Public Health Graduate Program – Master´s and PhD degrees) and offers courses in partnership with international and national institutions. In addition the Center carries out research and teaching activities in close partnership with several national public health institutions. The group currently operates as a Collaborating Center of the Ministry of Health and PAHO and has effective ongoing partnerships with SMSA-BH, FIOCRUZ (BH and RJ), BHTrans and the Observatório do Milênio de BH (The Belo Horizonte Millennium Observatory). International partners include the University of Michigan, the Drexel University (School of Public Health) and the WHO Centre for Health Development, in Kobe (WHO/Kobe Centre). It is also worth highlighting that the Science without Borders/CNPq project accepted Professor of Ana Vitoria Diez-Roux, from Drexel University, as a visiting researcher. The relevance of the group work is reflected in the significant number of publications in indexed journals, presentations at national and international conferences and support to public health policies.

Group leader: Waleska Teixeira Caiaffa

Contact phone: + 55 31 3409 – 9100

CNPQ Research Group Directory: http://dgp.cnpq.br/dgp/espelhogrupo/7120374693763613