CAREER: An Integrative Approach to Understanding Infectious Disease Dynamics

新出现的传染病是全球关注的问题。疾病暴发对宿主人口可能是毁灭性的，但也提供了一个机会来弥补我们对疾病如何起作用的知识的空白。例如，我们需要更好地了解疫情是如何消退的。研究人员假设，宿主防御(即宿主免疫)影响病原体感染模式，并减少疾病的长期影响。然而，要准确地确定降低自然人群中疾病严重性的特定宿主防御系统是具有挑战性的。该项目将测试宿主防御改变一种被称为合孢子菌病的疾病的感染模式的假设。壶菌病是一种致命的真菌疾病，影响青蛙、蟾蜍、火蜥蜴和其他两栖动物。这种疾病已经造成--并将继续造成--世界各地两栖动物生物多样性的急剧丧失。研究人员将确定皮肤分泌物--一种具有抗真菌特性的两栖动物防御物--如何影响棘球菌病爆发的严重性和持续时间。这项研究将通过提供保护两栖动物生物多样性的战略来为社会做出贡献。它还将促进对新出现的传染病(如棘球菌病)的科学知识。最后，该项目将通过对STEM年轻女性的培训和研究参与来扩大参与。这项研究将结合尖端实验和关于三种两栖动物宿主防御机制的实地研究。研究小组将通过免疫抑制治疗和病原体暴露实验来确定皮肤分泌物在宿主防御中的作用。该团队还将使用田间和普通花园实验来量化皮肤分泌防御系统如何在人群、海拔和季节之间变化。此外，该项目还将实施“2020年20岁”计划，启动20名年轻女性在科学领域追求高等教育。教育计划包括参与科学研究项目；为大学课程做准备；以及支持高中、本科生和研究生的分级指导网络。教育和外展活动将是拟议项目的组成部分，有助于提高对年轻女性在科学领域的潜力、两栖生物多样性的丧失以及增进我们对传染病理解的重要性的认识。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Emerging infectious diseases are a global concern. Disease outbreaks can be devastating for host populations, but also provide an opportunity to address gaps in our knowledge about how diseases work. For example, we need to better understand how outbreaks subside. Researchers hypothesize that host defenses (i.e., host immunity) influence pathogen infection patterns and reduce the long-term impacts of a disease. However, it is challenging to pinpoint the specific host defenses that reduce disease severity in natural populations. This project will test the hypothesis that host defenses alter infection patterns in a disease known as chytridiomycosis. Chytridiomycosis is a deadly fungal disease that impacts frogs, toads, salamanders, and other amphibians. This disease has caused - and continues to cause - dramatic losses of amphibian biodiversity around the world. The investigators will determine how skin secretions, an amphibian defense with anti-fungal properties, affect the severity and duration of chytridiomycosis outbreaks. This research will contribute to society by informing strategies to protect amphibian biodiversity. It will also advance scientific knowledge of emerging infectious diseases like chytridiomycosis. Finally, the project will broaden participation through training and research engagement for young women in STEM.This study will combine cutting-edge experiments with field studies on host defense mechanisms in three species of amphibians. The research team will determine the role of skin secretions in host defense using immunosuppression treatments and pathogen-exposure experiments. The team will also use field and common-garden experiments to quantify how skin secretion defenses vary across populations, elevations, and seasons. In addition, the project will implement a "20 in 2020" program that will launch 20 young women in their pursuit of higher education in scientific fields. The educational plan includes engagement in the scientific research project; preparation for university coursework; and a tiered mentoring network to support high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. The education and outreach activities will be an integral part of the proposed project, helping to increase awareness of the potential of young women in science, the loss of amphibian biodiversity, and the importance of advancing our understanding of infectious disease.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.