This is a third competitive renewal of our very successful Biodefense Training Program (BTP) for predoctoral students; first funded in 2004, prior to the building of the Galveston National Laboratory (GNL) in 2008. Since then, there has been an explosive growth of research at UTMB on biodefense-related and other emerging/re- emerging microbes of significant public health concern. The goal of this grant remains to train a new generation of scientists for diverse careers in a variety of research disciplines critical to protecting the U.S. and the rest of the world from bioweapons and epidemics/pandemics caused by naturally emerging, highly pathogenic bacteria and viruses. With significant advances in biotechnology, concerns have intensified regarding the development of artificially engineered microbes that have the potential to spread more quickly, are more lethal, and resist prevention or treatment options. Therefore, continued development of novel countermeasures is needed, and concerted efforts by the federal government to train next generation scientists capable of safely working at BSL- 3 and BSL-4 containment at both academic campuses and government facilities remain critical. UTMB is particularly well qualified to train these scientists by virtue of the existence of the GNL, which has comprehensive maximum containment and excellent core facilities, successful and well-funded major biodefense research programs, and a highly developed biocontainment training program. Furthermore, UTMB faculty have developed countermeasures already in use in patients (e.g., Ebola vaccine) or are in late preclinical and early clinical trial stages. The strong and diverse biodefense and emerging infectious disease research portfolio ranges from vaccine development to diagnostics, antimicrobial development to pathogenesis, and these programs are highly collaborative, interdisciplinary, and translational in nature. The BTP supports four PhD or MD/PhD students each year enrolled in one of four graduate programs: MICR, PATH, BMB, and HPTM. Trainees are selected for up to 2 years by an Executive Committee after they have completed their qualifying exam and have submitted a formal F31-style proposal describing their dissertation research. In addition to courses required by the respective programs, BTP trainees enroll in elective classes specific to biodefense and custom-designed to meet their needs, with a special focus on responsible conduct of research. With a structured mentoring plan, well-funded faculty participate in the program but an opportunity is provided to develop junior mentors through involvement of senior faculty as co-mentors in student supervision. Enrichment activities include retreats organized by the trainees to discuss career opportunities with invited past BTP trainees from academia, government, and industry, as well as to discuss topics in ethics and specific research themes. Trainees also organize an Immunology/Biodefense journal club, and there is close interaction of the students with seminar speakers during the weekly Infectious Diseases and Immunity Colloquium. A strong, multi-component program for recruiting URM trainees will be further augmented to develop a biodefense workforce mirroring the national population.
Many microbes under study at UTMB are potential biological weapons as well as naturally emerging pathogens. To protect the U.S. and the world from acts of biological warfare/terrorism, as well as from emerging/re-emerging infectious diseases, improved diagnostics, vaccines and treatments are needed. Our training program capitalizes on UTMB?s unique high containment facilities, highly qualified, world-renowned faculty, and biosafety educational programs to train doctoral students to become productive and independent researchers who will represent the next generation of biodefense scientists.
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