On June 9 during a presentation at Indiana University’s Mini-University in Bloomington, Regenstrief Institute Research Scientist William M. Tierney, M.D., reflected on more than a decade of work helping to build a high-impact global health collaboration. In his talk, “AMPATH: Meeting the Challenge of HIV/AIDS in Kenya,” Dr. Tierney shared lessons from his time shaping the AMPATH Research Program, a groundbreaking partnership between Indiana University and Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya.
From 1997 to 2010, Dr. Tierney served in foundational leadership roles with the IU Kenya Program, including as the founding director of Informatics (2000–2007), Research (2002–2010), the Regenstrief-Moi Informatics Fellowship Program (1998–2004), and the Regional East African Center for Health Informatics (2009–2010). His vision helped lay the groundwork for AMPATH’s evolution into a globally recognized model for equitable, long-term global collaboration.
Built with support from the National Institutes of Health, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and philanthropic partners, the AMPATH Research Program grew from a small group of faculty and trainees into a dynamic enterprise advancing health outcomes and scientific knowledge in Kenya and beyond. The program has:
- Implemented one of sub-Saharan Africa’s first ambulatory electronic medical record systems
- Trained generations of Kenyan and North American researchers
- Built robust data infrastructure for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and noncommunicable disease research
- Fostered a vibrant, diverse scientific community grounded in shared purpose and local relevance
During his presentation, Dr. Tierney also shared key recommendations for future global research partnerships, emphasizing sustainability and equity. These included:
- Documenting shared principles and institutional commitments
- Cost recovery rates for foreign institutions
- Establishing joint institutional review boards (IRBs) to streamline ethical approvals
- Implementing infrastructure fees to support shared research systems
- Clarifying salary mechanisms that are fair, transparent and compliant
The long-term benefits of AMPATH’s collaborative model continue to resonate in both Kenya and the United States, expanding research opportunities, strengthening academic networks and improving care for vulnerable populations.
William M. Tierney, M.D.
A past leader at Regenstrief Institute, Willaim (Bill) Tierney, M.D., is a professor of Community and Global Health and Associate Dean for Population Health and Health Outcomes at Indiana University Indianapolis Fairbanks School of Public Health as well as a part-time professor of Population Health at the University of Texas at Austin’s Dell Medical School. The Regenstrief Insitute Center for Health Services Research is named for Dr. Tierney. He served as the founding chair of Dell Med’s Department of Population Health from 2015-2020 but has spent the rest of his career at IU and Regenstrief where he served as president and CEO of the Regenstrief Institute, IU School of Medicine’s associate dean for Comparative Effectiveness Research and chief of medicine at what is now Eskenazi Health, the nation’s fourth largest safety net health system where he practiced primary care, emergency medicine and hospital medicine for 35 years
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