A global Infectious diseases framework to grow interdisciplinary research

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT In non-pandemic periods, tuberculosis (TB) is the leading killer from a single infectious pathogen, despite curative antibiotics. Malnutrition, both undernutrition and poor nutrition leading to conditions such as diabetes mellitus, is the largest risk factor for TB disease globally. Geographical overlap between malnutrition and TB exposes the interdependent drivers of these co-epidemics of poverty. TB research, like other patient-oriented science, can often be siloed from interaction with other professional disciplines working in related disease determinants, methodologies, economics or policy, to name a few. As a mid-career investigator, my work has evolved from TB and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemiology, diagnostics development and evaluation, to interventional clinical trials among vulnerable populations in undernourished settings globally where our research group increasingly seeks out new expertise beyond epidemiology and pharmacology. This K24 proposal will allow dedicated time to apply a framework of activities for interdisciplinary researchers in global health at the University of Virginia (UVA) and our partner institutes. The framework is designed to primarily support junior faculty engaging in global health research with early or developing funding sources. The framework is also intended to develop a university wide cadre of global health researchers informing agenda within UVA’s new global engagement strategy. Doing so will require development of my own skills in mentoring techniques, new familiarity with scientific methodology and leadership growth which will in turn allow analysis, design and execution of large-scale team science specific to undernutrition related TB as the emerging direction in my work. The overall approach is bolstered by rigorous TB and HIV research among undernourished populations (U01, R01, R21) with accessible specimens and clinical data for new scientific direction, administrative structure in the Center for Global Health Equity, and ample global junior faculty or near-peer postdoctoral trainees in funded programs (D43- Tanzania, USDP- South Africa).