Global Infectious Diseases Research Training Program

This is a renewal application for a D43 Global Infectious Diseases (GID) Research Training Program from the University at Buffalo (UB)/State University of New York (SUNY), Upstate Medical University (Upstate/SUNY) and The University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Campus (Kingston, Jamaica), in collaboration with the Jamaica Ministry of Health. The scientific focus for the D43 GID renewal will be major endemic or life threatening emerging viral infectious diseases and chronic viral infections including an emphasis on arbovirus and vector research, COVID-19, chronic viral infection and antiviral drug development. This is based on the continued need for building the research workforce to address these areas while recognizing the ongoing impact of COVID-19. The initial GID program was focused on establishing a new initiative at The UWI Mona Campus for pre-doctoral and post-doctoral candidates with an interest in virology research. The GID program was highly successful as measured by outcome metrics including recruitment, training goals achieved and scientific dissemination. The GID recruited ten outstanding scientists of whom 70% are women. The prior GID program established a research training metric (RTM) that was scored 1-10 and included criteria such as responsible conduct of research training, external seminars, degree-required courses, research proposal/protocol, IRB/ethics compliance, a research project plan, project budget, and scientific writing. An RTM score of 9-10 was achieved by 70% of the trainees. The GID trainees contributed to 11 manuscripts. The renewal GID will train 10 new independent researchers (5 pre-doctoral, 5 post-doctoral) with expertise in one or more of the following areas: arbovirology, viral hepatitis, chronic viral infection, antiviral drug development, bioinformatics, omics, and epidemiology. Our experienced GID mentors will be complemented by new faculty mentors who will provide innovative laboratory research opportunities in vector biology, primate research, omics, molecular diagnostics, flow cytometry and mass spectrometry with a customized curriculum based on each trainee’s Individualized Development Plan (IDP) to achieve a personalized Virology Research Skills Toolbox. Trainees will complete short-term, mentored training in US-based laboratories directed by faculty mentors with extensive experience in virology, immunology, omics and pharmacology research. The GID renewal will continue to address the important public health challenges related to infectious diseases and build on the successes of the initial GID research training program in Jamaica.