This application is a competitive renewal request for continuing support of four pre-doctoral trainees per year engaged in research using animal models of infectious diseases (AMID), which will be matched by two positions funded by UC Davis institutional support. The AMID Training Program, first funded in 2004, takes advantage of the extraordinary resources at UC Davis for research on animal models of infectious diseases, including the co-localization of the Graduate School, the Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, the California National Primate Research Center, the Mouse Biology Program, and the Center for Comparative Medicine, a unique training environment that arguably exists nowhere else in the world. During the first funding period, through this NIH grant and UC Davis matching support, we supported 23 students working under the supervision of 18 different faculty trainers. The success of the AMID Program is highlighted by the quality of the students and their accomplishments, the impact on collaborative research and student mentorship, research seminars, collaborative grants by participating faculty, and by our careful attention to teaching responsible conduct of research and promoting student diversity. The AMID Training Program has grown substantially since its inception, most notably by increases in faculty size, diversity, collaboration, and grant support;by increases in the size and quality of the student candidate pool;and by the addition of new courses and seminar series. The AMID Training Program will continue to be administered by Jay Solnick, MD, PhD (Director), with the assistance of Charles Bevins, MD, PhD (Associate Director), and an Executive Committee experienced in graduate education. The faculty trainers for the program will be 23 investigators at UC Davis, whose work uses animal models to better understand a broad range of viral, bacterial, and eukaryotic human pathogens. Students will be drawn from a pool of over 100 students in the graduate groups of Microbiology and Immunology, and an even larger number in related graduate groups. They will be matched with relevant faculty trainers and their progress will be closely monitored by the Program Director, Associate Director, and an Advisory Committee experienced in graduate education. Training will emphasize rigorous scientific research, oral and written scientific communication, and interaction with a broad range of scientists interested in animal models of human infectious diseases.
Research conducted by these trainees will have broad impact on the understanding, management, and prevention of infectious disease, which is one of the most important aspects of human health.
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