Mongolia has one of the world’s highest rates of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (liver cancer) and mortality from the disease. Viral hepatitis, specifically chronic HBV and HCV infections, is the most common risk factor for developing Hepatocellular Carcinoma. To address this, a symposium was organized in Mongolia in 2015 as a means of promoting extramural collaboration with scientists in the US. As a result of this event, seven small-scale pilot projects were funded (4 through NIAID, 3 through NCI) as a means of furthering the efforts of ending the viral hepatitis endemic. To determine the possibility of future collaboration with researchers in Mongolia, my role was to evaluate:
(1) What has been accomplished as a result of these pilot projects
(2) What subsequent activity stemmed as a result of these projects
(3) The thoroughness of the final technical reports and final evaluation survey provided to NIAID by the Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF
Kaitlyn lee, mph 