The anthrax bioemergency following the 9/11 terrorist attack forced us to recognize the menace of infectious organisms as biological weapons. Preparedness in response to infectious threats requires individuals well versed in bioterrorism and infectious diseases, as was demonstrated by Wadsworth Center's anthrax testing initiative in 2001. To further meet this need, a training program is proposed for biodefense and emerging infection research for predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows in the laboratory sciences with an enrichment component in epidemiology. The goal of this program is to provide multi-disciplinary training combining basic and applied research to produce: (1) doctoral graduates with backgrounds in biodefense and emerging infectious diseases; and, (2) postdoctoral fellows who can become independent scientists developing integrated research programs in biodefense and emerging infections. Thirteen well-funded mentors are drawn from the Wadsworth Center and the Division of Epidemiology of the New York State Department of Health, through their academic appointments within the School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany (SUNYA -SPH). This unique training environment combines fundamental research with biodefense and infectious disease outbreak response. The training program's key components are based on the existing curriculum of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and incorporate specific courses from the Department of Epidemiology. The didactic components include grounding in biochemistry, cell biology, microbiology, virology, molecular genetics, microbial pathogenesis and immunology. The epidemiological enrichment provides an emphasis on the biological basis of public health, statistical inference, disease transmission, and data management. The Biodefense Sciences course introduces biosafety procedures, pathogen containment, pathogen detection, and bioterrorism event and response modeling. Fellows will participate in clinically relevant laboratory rotations and colloquia, and journal clubs covering advanced topics and the current literature. A biodefense research seminar series will build on existing Wadsworth Center and Department of Health seminar programs. The steering and advisory committees, and the existing SUNYA-SPH academic structures, ensure that high-quality applicants enter this specialized program and that both pre-and postdoctoral students become productive scientists in this research area.
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