This application represents the second competing renewal for our Training in Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) Training program based at the University of Pennsylvania that supports 3 predoctoral and 2 postdoctoral trainees per year. Of the more than 70 faculty whose primary affiliation is with the microbiology program, a select group of 12 faculty are trainers with this EID T32. All of the trainers have significant EID research programs, and 7 have been funded by the Middle Atlantic Regional Center of Excellence in Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases. An active Executive Committee coupled with an experienced Internal Advisory Committee insures that this program retains a very tight focus on the study of emerging and re-emerging pathogens. As a result, trainers have been dropped from the program when their EID programs have faded while others have been added. This program has served to coalesce EID research training on our campus, with our trainers instituting a popular EID lecture course, a rigorous BSL3 training program, and a Certificate in Public Health Program. Our recent introduction of Individual Development Plans for our students and postdocs is making it possible for us to tailor our training activities to bes meet the needs of our trainees. Importantly, Penn continues to provide significant, direct support to training activities, including $7 million for our new ABSL3/BSL3 and via supporting predoctoral trainees for their first 21 months of graduate school. Thus, our T32 supports trainees only after they have completed all coursework and their prelim exams. Thus far, this T32 has supported 28 trainees, almost all for 2 years each, including 13 Ph.D. students, 4 M.D./Ph.D. students, 1 VMD/Ph.D. student and 10 Ph.D. postdoctoral fellows. Our 28 trainees have worked in the labs of 15 different trainers. Only one very recently added trainer has not had a trainee supported by this T32 program. Of the 28 current and past trainees, 15 are women, 13 are men, and 4 are minorities/disadvantaged (14%). Our retention rate is 93%, and those who have completed training and left Penn have obtained good positions (for the postdocs) and excellent postdoctoral positions at leading institutions, with most continuing to study emerging infectious agents. The accomplishments of our trainees coupled with their career progress since leaving Penn shows that our T32 program is indeed training promising young scientists to enter careers in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Public Health Relevance

This Training in Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) T32 program supports 3 predoctoral and 2 postdoctoral trainees who study a variety of emerging and re-emerging pathogens that are of public health concern. Trainees are most often supported for two years, enabling them to take advantage of the training activities we have instituted to support work in this area, including BSL3 training, coursework, seminars and a Certificate Program in Public Health. Active management by program leadership maintains an intense focus on EID topics as well as training opportunities that are tailored to meet the needs of our students and postdoctoral fellows.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Institutional National Research Service Award (T32)
Project #
4T32AI055400-14
Application #
9065469
Study Section
Microbiology and Infectious Diseases B Subcommittee (MID)
Program Officer
Coomes, Stephanie
Project Start
2003-08-01
Project End
2018-07-31
Budget Start
2016-08-01
Budget End
2017-07-31
Support Year
14
Fiscal Year
2016
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Pennsylvania
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
042250712
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19104
Kudchodkar, Sagar B; Choi, Hyeree; Reuschel, Emma L et al. (2018) Rapid response to an emerging infectious disease - Lessons learned from development of a synthetic DNA vaccine targeting Zika virus. Microbes Infect 20:676-684
Barbian, Hannah J; Connell, Andrew Jesse; Avitto, Alexa N et al. (2018) CHIIMP: An automated high-throughput microsatellite genotyping platform reveals greater allelic diversity in wild chimpanzees. Ecol Evol 8:7946-7963
Otwinowski, Jakub; McCandlish, David M; Plotkin, Joshua B (2018) Inferring the shape of global epistasis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 115:E7550-E7558
Wang, Yang; Esquivel, Rianne; Flingai, Seleeke et al. (2018) Anti-OspA DNA-Encoded Monoclonal Antibody Prevents Transmission of Spirochetes in Tick Challenge Providing Sterilizing Immunity in Mice. J Infect Dis :
Patel, Ami; Park, Daniel H; Davis, Carl W et al. (2018) In Vivo Delivery of Synthetic Human DNA-Encoded Monoclonal Antibodies Protect against Ebolavirus Infection in a Mouse Model. Cell Rep 25:1982-1993.e4
Barbian, Hannah J; Li, Yingying; Ramirez, Miguel et al. (2018) Destabilization of the gut microbiome marks the end-stage of simian immunodeficiency virus infection in wild chimpanzees. Am J Primatol 80:
Otwinowski, Jakub (2018) Biophysical Inference of Epistasis and the Effects of Mutations on Protein Stability and Function. Mol Biol Evol 35:2345-2354
Casson, Cierra N; Doerner, Jessica L; Copenhaver, Alan M et al. (2017) Neutrophils and Ly6Chi monocytes collaborate in generating an optimal cytokine response that protects against pulmonary Legionella pneumophila infection. PLoS Pathog 13:e1006309
Barbian, Hannah J; Jackson-Jewett, Raven; Brown, Corrine S et al. (2017) Effective treatment of SIVcpz-induced immunodeficiency in a captive western chimpanzee. Retrovirology 14:35
Zhou, Wei; Brisson, Dustin (2017) Correlation between antigenicity and variability in the vls antigenic variation system of Borrelia burgdorferi. Microbes Infect 19:267-276

Showing the most recent 10 out of 72 publications