We propose to establish a Global Infectious Disease Research Training Program at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) Graduate School of Public Health. The main focus of our program will be in the epidemiology, molecular epidemiology, and control of drug-resistant, vaccine preventable, and foodborne infectious diseases. The mission of our program is to provide Brazilian health professionals with the multidisciplinary tools needed to conduct cutting-edge prevention research in these important infectious diseases in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The program will be directed by Dr. Lee Harrison, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine, the principal investigator of the CDC-funded Active Bacterial Core Surveillance project of the Maryland Emerging Infections Program (EIP), and the Director of the Public Health Infectious Diseases Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh. Our main collaborating institution is the Instituto Adolfo Lutz, a premier reference and research laboratory for Sao Paulo State. The numerous applied and public health research activities at the University of Pittsburgh and the ongoing research activities at Adolfo Lutz will provide a rich multidisciplinary academic and research environment. Ongoing research at the sites studies of the epidemiology and molecular epidemiology of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and other shiga-toxin producing E. coli, antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella and pneumococcus, and meningococcal infection. Trainees will have access to substantial training opportunities at Pitt, including the Maryland EIP and a diverse array of laboratory resources. A key focus of the program will be short-term and masters-level training in epidemiology and molecular epidemiology, with the ultimate goal of providing the local infrastructure needed to study and control important emerging infectious diseases. We will also provide short-term training opportunities in bioinformatics and phylogenetic analysis. The excellent training opportunities described in this application provide a superb research and training environment.
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