Continued training in The Molecular and Cellular Bases of Infectious Diseases (MCBID) is proposed for 8 PhD students and 3 postdoctoral fellows selected from large pools of highly qualified applicants. The training program is uniquely situated in the Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department (MMI) within the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The 29 training faculty have a wide range of experience and expertise in viruses, bacteria and parasites causing human disease and in the vectors and environmental factors associated with emergence and transmission of these pathogens. The training program has been funded since 1994 and has produced scientists working in many areas of academia and government on problems related to infectious diseases, vaccine development and the public's health. The goal of the MCBID training program is to provide students with both a firm foundation in the basic disciplines necessary for the study of infectious diseases and a perspective that will enable them to apply their knowledge creatively to public health problems. Each student is expected to complete 1) a series of required courses in the basic disciplines of cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, and immunology, 2) courses in virology, bacteriology, parasitology, and disease ecology, 3) courses in research ethics and public health perspectives, and 4) elective courses relevant to thesis topic and long-term career goals. Elective courses are chosen from among courses available in MMI, other departments in the School of Public Health, or in other Divisions of the University. Students will also complete 3 11-week laboratory rotations during the first year. Student progress is monitored by a Thesis Advisory Committee and the Graduate Program Committee. The goals of the postdoctoral training program are 1) to provide focused training in those areas of the molecular and cellular basis of infectious diseases in which program faculty have special expertise;2) to provide an opportunity for doctoral degree holders trained in more traditional environments to broaden their exposure to problems of public health importance and to evaluate their career goals in terms of public health issues;and 3) to prepare the PDF for an independent career in the biological sciences.
: This program is highly relevant to national interests in the areas of emerging infectious diseases, as it trains students and postdoctoral fellows broadly not only in both the molecular aspects of pathogen biology and disease pathogenesis, but also in the ecology of disease emergence and the role of vectors in pathogen transmission.
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