Tuberculosis remains the world's leading infectious cause of death, and the rise of multidrug resistant tuberculosis and the interaction of the TB and AIDS epidemics worldwide are creating a public health threat of massive proportions. A major development in advancing tuberculosis control globally has been the establishment of the Tuberculosis Trials Consortium (TBTC), a CDC-funded international consortium which conducts clinical trials aimed at defining and improving therapy for latent tuberculosis infection, active tuberculosis, and tuberculosis in HIV-infected populations. The TBTC has become the successor to the legendary British Medical Research Council's Tuberculosis Research Unit. Crucial to the continuing success of this consortium will be the recruitment and training of young investigators with expertise in tuberculosis and all aspects of clinical investigation and clinical trials. Dr. Neil Schluger serves as the principal investigator for the TBTC site at Columbia University and is also the chairman of the TBTC Steering Committee and its Executive Committee. Under the proposed application, Dr. Schluger will recruit and mentor young investigators who will become the next generation of tuberculosis clinical trialists. Plans to accomplish this include: 1. provision of formal didactic instruction in tuberculosis epidemiology and control; clinical immunology; clinical research methodology and biostatistics and responsible conduct of research; 2. Attendance of trainees at tuberculosis Clinic under the direct supervision of Dr. Schluger; and 3. Participation as an investigator in the TBTC as a member of the Columbia University site, including enrolling and following trial subjects; data analysis and interpretation, attendance at the semi-annual meetings of the consortium, and design of future TBTC trials.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (K24)
Project #
5K24HL004074-08
Application #
7173874
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZHL1-CSR-Q (O1))
Program Officer
Colombini-Hatch, Sandra
Project Start
1999-09-20
Project End
2010-01-31
Budget Start
2007-02-01
Budget End
2008-01-31
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$152,222
Indirect Cost
Name
Columbia University (N.Y.)
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
621889815
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10032
Schluger, Neil W; Burzynski, Joseph (2010) Recent advances in testing for latent TB. Chest 138:1456-63
Lopez de Castilla, D; Schluger, N W (2010) Tuberculosis following solid organ transplantation. Transpl Infect Dis 12:106-12
Ben Amor, Yanis; Nemser, Bennett; Singh, Angad et al. (2008) Underreported threat of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Africa. Emerg Infect Dis 14:1345-52
Brodie, Daniel; Lederer, David J; Gallardo, Jade S et al. (2008) Use of an interferon-gamma release assay to diagnose latent tuberculosis infection in foreign-born patients. Chest 133:869-74
Schluger, Neil W (2007) Tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacterial infections in older adults. Clin Chest Med 28:773-81, vi
Schluger, Neil W (2005) The pathogenesis of tuberculosis: the first one hundred (and twenty-three) years. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 32:251-6
Geng, Elvin; Kreiswirth, Barry; Burzynski, Joe et al. (2005) Clinical and radiographic correlates of primary and reactivation tuberculosis: a molecular epidemiology study. JAMA 293:2740-5
Schluger, Neil W; Perez, Daniel; Liu, Yuk Ming (2002) Reconstitution of immune responses to tuberculosis in patients with HIV infection who receive antiretroviral therapy. Chest 122:597-602
Geng, Elvin; Kreiswirth, Barry; Driver, Cynthia et al. (2002) Changes in the transmission of tuberculosis in New York City from 1990 to 1999. N Engl J Med 346:1453-8
Schluger, N W (2001) Changing approaches to the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 164:2020-4