Candidate: Aubree Gordon, PhD, MPH is an Assistant Adjunct Professor and an Assistant Researcher at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB). Career Development Plan: Dr. Gordon will conduct vital research on the epidemiologic features of influenza in Nicaragua, a tropical country. The objective of this project is to expand knowledge of influenza in tropical countries in order to provide evidence for the need for interventions and knowledge for the design of interventions. Additionally, this K02 award will provide the candidate with protected time for her research program in order to ensure her continued successful development as an independent researcher and leader in global health. Project: The program will be divided into two related projects: Project 1 will focus on the epidemiology and phylogenetic characterization of pediatric influenza in a prospective cohort, and Project 2 will consist of a household transmission study of influenza. Within Project 1, the burden and seasonality of influenza in the cohort will be examined in Aim 1. Individual demographic and medical risk factors as well as socio- demographic risk factors for influenza virus infection and influenza severity will be characterized in Aim 2.
In Aim 3, the evolutionary dynamics of influenza A virus will be evaluated over time and space, including an investigation of intra-host diversity, using viruses obtained from both the cohort study and the household transmission study. In the household transmission study in Project 2, 222 households with an index case of influenza will be followed for 9 days. Serum and respiratory samples will be collected from all household contacts to investigate parameters of influenza transmission in a developing country setting and to examine individual and household risk factors that affect influenza transmission and disease severity. Basic influenza transmission parameters, including the secondary attack rate and serial interval, will be calculated in Aim 4. The effect of household and individual characteristics on influenza transmission will be determined in Aim 5. Finally, the proportion and determinants of asymptomatic influenza infection will be examined in Aim 6. Mentorship: Primary mentorship will be provided by Dr. Eva Harris at UCB and by Dr. Angel Balmaseda at the Ministry of Health in Nicaragua. Dr. Harris is a virologist and reknowned for her work in scientific capacity building in under-resourced settings. Dr. Angel Balmaseda is a virologist and head of the Nicaraguan National Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Diagn ?stico y Referencia. Dr. Arthur Reingold will serve as a co-mentor. Dr. Reingold is a specialist in infectious disease epidemiology, with topic areas that include the epidemiology of influenza, pediatric respiratory diseases and vaccines. Pulbic Health Relevance: This proposal is well- positioned to have substantial impact because of the lack of knowledge of the epidemiology, and transmission of influenza in tropical countries, which the proposed studies will address.

Public Health Relevance

This research project is extremely relevant to global public health and especially to health in developing countries, where respiratory diseases are the leading killer of children. In the tropics, little is known about the burden of influenza or its seasonality, both of which are necessary for planning and promoting control efforts such as vaccination. Through conducting both a study of influenza in children and a study of the spread of influenza in households, we will help to provide the knowledge that is necessary in order to reduce the spread of influenza and lessen its impact on children in the developing world.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Fogarty International Center (FIC)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research (K02)
Project #
5K02TW009483-03
Application #
8692495
Study Section
International and Cooperative Projects - 1 Study Section (ICP1)
Program Officer
Jessup, Christine
Project Start
2012-09-20
Project End
2017-06-30
Budget Start
2014-07-01
Budget End
2015-06-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2014
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Berkeley
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
City
Berkeley
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94704
Gordon, Aubree; Tsang, Tim K; Cowling, Benjamin J et al. (2018) Influenza Transmission Dynamics in Urban Households, Managua, Nicaragua, 2012-2014. Emerg Infect Dis 24:1882-1888
Ng, Sophia; Saborio, Saira; Kuan, Guillermina et al. (2017) Association between Haemagglutination inhibiting antibodies and protection against clade 6B viruses in 2013 and 2015. Vaccine 35:6202-6207
Ng, Sophia; Lopez, Roger; Kuan, Guillermina et al. (2016) The Timeline of Influenza Virus Shedding in Children and Adults in a Household Transmission Study of Influenza in Managua, Nicaragua. Pediatr Infect Dis J 35:583-6
Balmaseda, Angel; Gordon, Aubree; Gresh, Lionel et al. (2016) Clinical Attack Rate of Chikungunya in a Cohort of Nicaraguan Children. Am J Trop Med Hyg 94:397-9
Gresh, Lionel; Kuan, Guillermina; Sanchez, Nery et al. (2016) Burden of Influenza and Influenza-associated Pneumonia in the First Year of Life in a Prospective Cohort Study in Managua, Nicaragua. Pediatr Infect Dis J 35:152-6
Lee, Kyu Han; Gordon, Aubree; Foxman, Betsy (2016) The role of respiratory viruses in the etiology of bacterial pneumonia: An ecological perspective. Evol Med Public Health 2016:95-109
Gordon, Aubree; Kuan, Guillermina; Aviles, William et al. (2015) The Nicaraguan pediatric influenza cohort study: design, methods, use of technology, and compliance. BMC Infect Dis 15:504
Biswas, Hope H; Gordon, Aubree; Nuñez, Andrea et al. (2015) Lower Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels Are Associated with Severe Dengue Outcome. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 9:e0003904
Ng, Sophia; Gordon, Aubree (2015) Influenza Burden and Transmission in the Tropics. Curr Epidemiol Rep 2:89-100
Nelson, Martha I; Balmaseda, Angel; Kuan, Guillermina et al. (2014) The evolutionary dynamics of influenza A and B viruses in the tropical city of Managua, Nicaragua. Virology 462-463:81-90

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