The Georgian Biostatistics in Implementation Science Fogarty Training Program (GIFT) brings together a multidisciplinary group of scholars committed to advancing biostatistics and implementation science in Georgia. Supported by the Fogarty International Center (NIH), Grant D43 TW-012492, the program is jointly led by Ilia State University and the Yale School of Public Health.
Program Leadership
Prof. Frederick L. Altice, MD, MA
Frederick Altice is a Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases), and Public Health at Yale University. He is a clinician, clinical epidemiologist, and a researcher in intervention and implementation science at both Yale School of Medicine and Yale School of Public Health. He serves as a Multiple Principal Investigator (MPI) of the GIFT project and is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Malaya.
Prof. Altice’s research has a strong global health focus, with funded projects in Malaysia, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Peru, and Indonesia. He currently directs two international implementation science research and training centers in collaboration with Yale, the University of Malaya, and Sichuan University. During the GIFT Bootcamps, Prof. Altice will lead workshops on implementation science.
Prof. Denise Esserman, PhD
Denise Esserman is a Professor of Biostatistics at the Yale School of Public Health and a member of the Yale Center for Analytical Sciences. She collaborates across departments within the Yale School of Medicine, including the Clinical and Translational Science Award Program, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and the Yale Cancer Center.
During the GIFT Bootcamps, Prof. Esserman will introduce key methodological and statistical considerations in implementation research and lead the biostatistics workshops.
Prof. Irma Kirtadze, MD, PhD
🔗 Ilia State University profile
Irma Kirtadze is an Associate Professor in the Addiction Studies and Public Health program at Ilia State University. She has over 20 years of experience in researching drug use disorders and their linkage to blood-borne infections such as HIV, hepatitis B/C, and STIs. Prof. Kirtadze is a Principal Investigator with expertise in both quantitative and qualitative research methods, including recruitment, interviewing, and the implementation of HIV prevention interventions for key populations.
Her research focuses on HIV/AIDS prevention programs, primary healthcare reform evaluation, and implementation science. During the GIFT Bootcamps, she hosts and leads workshops at Ilia State University.
Program Co-Investigators
Prof. Nino Makhashvili, MD, PhD
🔗 Ilia State University profile
I am a psychiatrist with extensive experience in inpatient and outpatient mental health services in Georgia. I hold a PhD in Public Mental Health and currently lead theMental Health Centre at Ilia State University, Tbilisi, where I direct the multidisciplinaryMA program in Mental Healthand co-direct the internationalPhD program in Public Health.
My research focuses on theepidemiology of mental health disorders, theneeds of war-affected populations(including internally displaced persons and refugees), andevidence-based approaches to care. I am also engaged in research and advocacy related tomental health systems developmentandhuman rights in mental healthcare.
In addition, I serve as Director of theGlobal Initiative on Psychiatry–Tbilisi (GIP-T), part of the international Federation GIP. Together with my team, I work to advance mental healthcare in Georgia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Ukraine, and Sri Lanka. Our efforts include promotingde-institutionalisation, strengtheningcommunity-based care, andadvocating for rights-based mental health policies.
Prof. David Otiashvili, MD, PhD
🔗 Ilia State University profile
Director of the Addiction Research Centre – Alternative Georgia and Associate Professor of Healthcare at Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia. David graduated from Tbilisi State Medical University with a qualification in Psychiatry and spent ten years in clinical work treating patients with substance use disorders. As a NIDA Hubert Humphrey Fellow, he studied substance use research at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA. He earned his PhD in Health Psychology from Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.
David’s work is focused on public health research and education, with a particular emphasis on substance use. Over the past decade, he has led and participated in numerous studies related to addiction, including program evaluation, service development, and policy analysis. He is also actively involved in academic training and capacity-building in addiction science.
Prof. Ivane Abiatari, MD, PhD
🔗 Ilia State University profile
Ivane Abiatari is a medical doctor and researcher with a background in surgery, cancer research and medical education. He earned his medical degree in Tbilisi and completed his Ph.D. through a joint program between Tbilisi State University and the Technical University of Munich, focusing on pancreatic cancer. He conducted research and clinical work in Germany at the University of Heidelberg and the Technical University of Munich before joining Ilia State University in 2013, where he is now the head of the School of Medicine. His work has been recognized with several prestigious scholarships and awards, including a Fulbright scholarship at Harvard Medical School. He also holds a Specialist Certificate in Medical Education (AMEE).
Program Faculty Members
Prof. Mari Murtskhvaladze, PhD
🔗 Ilia State University profile
Marine Murtskhvaladze is an Associate Professor at Ilia State University, with over 25 years of experience in researching ecology, population genetics and evolution of animal species in Georgia.
As the Manager of molecular-genetic laboratory at the university, Dr. Murtskhvaladze makes a significant contribution to the university’s scientific capabilities. She is focused on implementing cutting-edge Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies. This expertise is twofold: it supports in-depth studies on biodiversity and evolution, and it provides essential capacity for pathogen diagnostics and analysis, contributing to public health and ecological risk management.
Prof. Veriko Mirtskhulava
🔗 Ilia State University profile
Prof. Irina Vardanashvili
🔗 Ilia State University profile
Prof. Nino Skhirtladze