The long-term goal of the program is to identify and facilitate the career progression of veterinary students who have the ability and motivation to become independent research scientists in infectious diseases. The objectives of this program are: (1) to provide support for a summer training program for future veterinarians that will expose them to the area of hypothesis-driven biomedical research in infectious diseases; (2) to expand the training opportunities for veterinary students in biomedical research in order to introduce them to scientific career opportunities in research areas including, but not limited to, microbiology, immunology, parasitology, epidemiology, and pathology; (3) to expose veterinary students to the principles underlying the responsible conduct of research. The program will be advertised internally and announced to other veterinary colleges. Selection of the applicants will be done through an examination of their academic record, their previous experience, and evaluation of the letters of application and recommendation. Ten students will be selected, two of them from Colleges outside Illinois. The trainees research will range from basic studies on the biology of pathogens and the mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions, to the development of diagnostic methods and prevention measures. The students would be expected to attend a first week introductory course on topics: such as: basic experimental design, collection and organization of data, basic data analysis, proposal writing, bioethics, biosafety, and animal and human use in research. Trainees will be matched with a faculty member with compatible research interest. Each students will be expected to complete the background readings, formulate a testable hypothesis, design the experiments, prepare a brief proposal, conduct the study, and analyze and report the results. A one-day research meeting will be convened at the conclusion of the ten-week program. Each student will be required to give a poster presentation and write a final report of their work.
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