The Interdisciplinary Program in Infectious Diseases (IPID) program is based on the premise that development of new strategies to effectively control the spread of infectious disease requires individuals trained to integrate information and skills across multiple disciplines, including epidemiology, mathematics, statistics, microbiology and medicine. IPID has several unique features designed to enhance interdisciplinary training: dual mentorship is required, where one mentor has laboratory expertise and the other expertise in epidemiology, population studies or mathematical modeling; all students receive training in laboratory and epidemiologic methods and mathematical modeling, and have practical experience in the laboratory and either epidemiologic studies or mathematical modeling. Students are trained to conceptualize research problems using mathematical tools, to design appropriate population-based studies addressing the problem using either laboratory or field methods, and to analyze and apply the study results. All students complete a set of core courses, and gain practical expertise in the laboratory, in data collection, in data analysis, and in modeling. This program is novel in that it formally integrates modeling techniques and theoretical and practical experience in the laboratory and field. Founded in 1999 with University of Michigan funding, and funded by NIH to support three pre-doctoral students in 2001, we have supported 10 doctoral students and graduated four doctoral students who were funded by NIH. Graduates of our program have found a ready market for their talents and will contribute in a significant way both to our understanding of infectious disease processes and using that understanding to protect the public's health. In this renewal, we are requesting five pre-doctoral positions. ? ? ? ?
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