This application is a renewal for a pre-doctoral training program in Immunity and Infectious Disease at The Rockefeller University, an institution with a rich history in these areas. The Immunity and Infectious Disease Training Program is a specialized unit of the Ph.D. program at Rockefeller, and is specifically designed for immunology and infectious disease training. The training program includes required coursework, rotations, and extensive research opportunities. The 17 faculty trainers are accomplished scientists, including 4 members of the US National Academy of Sciences, with a shared interest and experience in graduate education. The faculty has expertise in a very broad range of immunology and infectious disease, and the program encourages trainees to perform collaborative work in various areas with different faculty. We propose to support 4 pre-doctoral trainees during years 1-3 of graduate study. The applicant pool is outstanding, including a large number of students with accomplished undergraduate records, extensive research experience and a strong interest in immunology and infectious disease. Trainees would be mentored by the Program Director~ a Program Advisory Committee of selected faculty for general curriculum and research advice~ and a Faculty Advisory Committee, specifically designed for each trainee to provide detailed experimental guidance. Finally, the University provides extensive support for the graduate program in general, which benefits the Immunity and Infectious Disease training program. The confluence of these attributes defines a specific training program that would equip trainees with the educational background, analytical abilities, and experimental expertise to forge future advances in immunology and infectious disease.
This training grant supports research and education that is directly relevant t public health, including clinically relevant coursework and research opportunities in areas such as the development of treatments for cancer and new vaccines for HIV and Hepatitis C.
