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，可以弥补我们在疾病如何起作用的知识方面的空白。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，在自然种群中确定降低疾病严重程度的特定宿主防御是具有挑战性的。这个项目将测试宿主防御改变一种被称为壶菌病的疾病感染模式的假设。壶菌病是一种致命的真菌疾病，会影响青蛙、蟾蜍、蝾螈和其他两栖动物。这种疾病已经并将继续造成世界各地两栖动物生物多样性的巨大损失。研究人员将确定皮肤分泌物如何影响壶菌病爆发的严重程度和持续时间。皮肤分泌物是两栖动物具有抗真菌特性的防御系统。这项研究将通过为保护两栖动物生物多样性的策略提供信息，为社会做出贡献。它还将促进对壶菌病等新发传染病的科学认识。最后，该项目将通过对年轻女性在STEM领域的培训和研究参与来扩大参与。本研究将结合前沿实验和实地研究三种两栖动物的宿主防御机制。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。该团队还将使用实地和普通花园实验来量化皮肤分泌防御如何在人群，海拔和季节之间变化。此外，该项目还将实施“2020年20人”计划，推出20名追求科学领域高等教育的年轻女性。教育计划包括参与科研项目；为大学课程做准备；还有一个分层指导网络，为高中生、本科生和研究生提供支持。教育和外联活动将是拟议项目的一个组成部分，有助于提高对年轻妇女在科学方面的潜力、两栖动物生物多样性丧失以及增进我们对传染病了解的重要性的认识。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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.