Continued training in The Molecular and Cellular Basis of Infectious Diseases (MCBID) is proposed for 8 PhD students and 3 postdoctoral fellows selected from large pools of highly qualified applicants. The training program is uniquely situated in the Molecular Microbiology and Immunology (MMI) Department within the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The 29 training faculty have a wide range of experience and expertise in viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites causing human disease and in the vectors associated with emergence and transmission of these pathogens. The training program has been funded since 1994 and has produced scientists working in many areas of academia, industry and government on problems related to infectious diseases, vaccine development and the public's health. The goal of the MCBID training program is to provide students with both a firm foundation in the basic disciplines necessary for the study of infectious diseases and a perspective that will enable them to apply their knowledge creatively to public health problems. Each student is expected to complete 1) a series of required courses in the basic disciplines of cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, and immunology, 2) courses in virology, bacteriology, parasitology and vector biology, 3) courses in research ethics, epidemiology and public health perspectives, and 4) elective courses relevant to thesis topic and long-term career goals. Elective courses are chosen from among courses available in MMI, other departments in the School of Public Health and other Divisions of the University. Students will also complete 3 laboratory rotations during the first year with an option for a fourth rotation. Student progress is monitored by the Graduate Program Committee and the Thesis Advisory Committee with attention to an individual development plan. The goals of the postdoctoral training program are: 1) to provide focused training in those areas of the molecular and cellular basis of infectious diseases in which program faculty have special expertise; 2) to provide an opportunity for doctoral degree holders trained in more traditional environments to broaden their exposure to problems of public health importance and to evaluate their career goals in terms of public health issues; and 3) to prepare the postdoctoral fellow for an independent career in the biological sciences.
This training program for 8 PhD students and 3 postdoctoral fellows in Molecular and Cellular Basis of Infectious Diseases is highly relevant to national interests in the areas of emerging infectious diseases. The program trains students and postdoctoral fellows broadly not only in the molecular aspects of pathogen biology and disease pathogenesis, but also in the ecology of disease emergence and the role of vectors in pathogen transmission.
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