Emerging and Tropical Infectious Diseases

ABSTRACT Funds are requested for competitive renewal of a predoctoral “Emerging and Tropical Infectious Diseases” Training Program to support four trainees. Training is provided by 21 Program faculty members. Emerging and tropical infectious diseases encompass the broad-based multidisciplinary basic sciences, as well as field-related sciences (ecology, entomology, epidemiology, vertebrate zoology), with this program focusing on “vector-borne diseases.” The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston has made a major commitment to emerging and tropical diseases, including the development of the Galveston National Laboratory, Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, and Center for Tropical Diseases. These entities provide trainees of this program with a highly attractive array of research areas greatly relevant to emerging and tropical infectious diseases. In addition, students can undertake epidemiology studies overseas and internships at the World Health Organization sites. Therefore, the trainees will have opportunities to undertake a variety of potential research topics from laboratory-based studies at UTMB to field studies in local and oversea sites. The multidisciplinary program involves trainees from five graduate programs: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Experimental Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, and Human Pathophysiology & Translational Medicine. Formal course work is completed in the first two years, affording the trainee with a comprehensive background in infectious disease concepts. Laboratory rotations familiarize the students with state-of-the-art technology and facilities and orient them to potential future mentors. The students select mentors during the first and early part of the second year and prepare and defend a research dissertation topic in consultation with a research committee. The research is then conducted, culminating in the dissertation and defense. The predoctoral trainees have access to state-of-the-art facilities at UTMB, including arthropod containment level (ACL)-2, ACL3, BSL3, and animal BSL3 and BSL4. They participate in multiple research seminar series, including the “Infectious Diseases & Immunity Colloquium,” and they present their own research results in the graduate program Research-in-Progress seminar series. The Program’s high caliber, NIH-funded training faculty have years of mentoring experience with trainees that publish multiple papers in scientific journals. Importantly, this T32 also provides opportunities for junior (associate members) faculty to be mentored by senior training faculty members. Most of the former trainees embark on postdoctoral fellowships and assume positions of responsibility at medical and graduate schools, colleges, and as staff of research institutes and industry. Overall, this training program has integrated well with local research and education programs and prepared our trainees for emerging and vector-borne infectious disease challenges.