Pre-doctoral Training in Tropical Infectious Diseases Project Abstract As part of a renewal application for Pre-doctoral Training in Tropical Infectious Diseases, we propose to train five trainees for five years to help combat important global infectious disease challenges. Centrally located in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), the program will be administered by two Principal Investigators with deep knowledge and experience in infectious disease research and training: Dyann Wirth, Professor and Chair of the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (HSPH) and Phyllis Kanki, Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (HSPH). The major orientation of training at the Harvard School of Public Health is disease prevention through a better understanding of the biological, social, and population factors that impact disease outcome. The department has a long-standing commitment to the development of the next generation of well-trained tropical infectious disease scientists, who can successfully adapt, implement, and sustain infectious diseases research and intervention programs due to treatable and preventable diseases, which ultimately seek to save lives. This training program is interdisciplinary in scope and is led by a diverse and knowledgeable group of training faculty with strong mentoring abilities and experience establishing major training initiatives oriented to the prevention and treatment of disease. Pre-doctoral training in the department emphasizes core knowledge in the areas of cell biology, immunology, molecular biology and epidemiology, biostatistics, biochemistry, genomic analysis, and systems biology. This work is supplemented by translational and field-based studies of epidemiological and ecological aspects of infectious disease transmission and control. In addition to exploring issues necessary to develop as independent scientists, trainees will also gain advanced training focusing on specific infectious agents, including strategies for intervention and the application of modern approaches to vaccine and drug development.
Pre-doctoral Training in Tropical Infectious Diseases Project Narrative Despite scientific advances in combating deadly infectious diseases and successes in treatment in developed countries, the world-wide death toll continues to rise. To help address these challenges, this training program emphasizes core knowledge in the areas of cell biology, immunology, molecular biology and epidemiology, biostatistics, biochemistry, genomic analysis, and systems biology. This work is supplemented by translational and field-based studies of epidemiological and ecological aspects of infectious disease transmission and control. In addition to exploring issues necessary to develop as independent scientists, trainees will also gain advanced training focusing on specific infectious agents, including strategies for intervention and the application of modern approaches to vaccine and drug development.
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