The overall goal of this patient-oriented career development award is to contribute to the academic and research development of Dr. Jennifer Friedman in order to facilitate her transition into an independent investigator. Dr. Friedman is a pediatrician committed to promoting the health of children in the developing world. Her training in pediatrics combined with experience carrying out human population studies overseas constitutes a unique framework upon which to build. The Brown University International Health Institute provides an intellectually vibrant and supportive environment in which Dr. Friedman will further her research training. She will be supported by an accomplished and committed team of mentors who apply diverse tools to advancing the health of children in the developing world. Under their tutelage, Dr. Friedman will implement a research plan that will 1) contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms of S. Japonicum associated morbidity and 2) provide Dr. Friedman with the practical experience needed to carry out a complex overseas study with vulnerable subjects. This award will also provide Dr. Friedman with the necessary time to obtain additional formal training in epidemiologic and statistical methods for population based studies, host-parasite pathobiology and immunology, and research methodology for assessing the health and well being of children and adolescents in the developing world. This training will allow Dr. Friedman to bring a multi-disciplinary approach to our understanding of the mechanisms of parasite associated morbidity and the most effective ways to limit it. In summary, the concrete short term goals of this proposal are to 1) provide Dr. Friedman with further field experience in the developing world implementing a multi-faceted study 2) provide further training in the aforementioned disciplines through superb mentorship, formal coursework, and seminar and national meeting attendance 3) produce 5-6 manuscripts that will contribute to a developing body of knowledge regarding parasite associated morbidity and 4) provide preliminary data to allow Dr. Friedman to apply for independent funding to continue her work and transition into an independent pediatrician-scientist. Her long term goals are to further our understanding of parasite associated morbidity in children and use this data to inform our efforts to promote the health of children in the developing world.
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