NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology: A community guided assessment of parasitic threats to fish health

这项行动资助了2023财年的NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大了生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。该研究金支持研究员的一项研究和培训计划，该计划将增加在生物学领域代表性不足的群体的参与。位于威斯康星州北方的火焰湖印第安人保护区是上级齐佩瓦印第安人的火焰湖部落的家园，也是250多个淡水湖的家园，这些淡水湖中有鱼类、无脊椎动物、水生植物和病原体。Lac du Flambeau Tribe拥有并经营William J. Poupart，Sr.鱼类孵化场，负责在保留地边界内和整个五大湖割让领土内的湖泊中饲养和储存数十万条具有文化和社会重要性的鱼类，并有责任评估孵化场和保留地湖泊中的鱼类健康状况。这项研究，与Lac du Flambeau鱼类孵化场合作，旨在增加对威胁鱼类的传染性病原体的了解，并在鱼类和病原体发育的多个阶段在孵化场内，并开始解决该地区淡水鱼类种群的长期健康问题，在不断变化的气候和人类引起的湖泊变化方面。该研究员将扩大土著人民对生物学的参与，作为研究的一部分，并通过与促进奇卡诺人/西班牙裔美洲&土著人科学协会和土著人民基因组学暑期实习方案共同开展的活动该项目将对整个区域的鱼类病原体进行广泛评估，以确定哪些病原体以何种严重程度存在，随着时间的推移主机的发展和严重性。该研究员将首先通过显微镜和DNA条形码调查收获和捕获的鱼类（思科，muskellunge，shiners，walleye）器官的寄生虫和季节性感染率。该项目还将调查北方威斯康星州已知的绦虫，并评估它们的感染水平与湖泊分类、中间宿主存在以及鱼的年龄和大小的关系。本计画的最终目的是研究大眼绦虫的发育与生活史。该研究员将建立实验室和室外系统，通过其生命周期培养Bothriocephalus cuspidatus和Diphyllobothrium latum，以开发基于位置的模型系统，以了解寄生虫和宿主的相互作用。该研究员将通过主办美洲原住民实习生和以土著人为重点的季节性讲习班，扩大土著人民在生物学方面的参与，并将长期参与Lac du Flambeau Nation及其社区成员。该研究员还将继续与促进奇卡诺人/西班牙裔美国土著人在科学（SACNAS）和夏季实习的土著人民在基因组学（SING）的社会隶属关系和培训。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2023, Broadening Participation of Groups Underrepresented in Biology. The Fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation, located in northern Wisconsin, is home to the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians and to over 250 freshwater lakes containing fish, invertebrates, aquatic plants, and pathogens. The Lac du Flambeau Tribe owns and operates the William J. Poupart, Sr. Fish Hatchery, which is responsible for raising and stocking hundreds of thousands of culturally and socially important fish to lakes within the reservation boundaries and throughout the Great Lakes Ceded territory and has duties to assess fish health in the hatchery and reservation lakes. This research, in collaboration with the Lac du Flambeau Fish Hatchery, aims to increase the knowledge of infectious pathogens threatening fish in area lakes and within the hatchery at multiple stages of fish and pathogen development, and begins to address questions on the long-term health of freshwater fish populations in the region in terms of a changing climate, and human-induced changes in lakes. The fellow will broaden participation of Indigenous peoples in biology as part of the research and through activities in conjunction with the Society for the Advancement for Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) and the Summer Internship for Indigenous Peoples in Genomics (SING).This project will do a broad assessment of fish pathogens throughout the region to determine what pathogens are present at what severity and determine parasite host development and severity across time. The fellow will first survey harvested and trapped fish (cisco, muskellunge, shiners, walleye) organs for parasites and seasonal infections rates by microscopy and DNA barcoding. The project will also investigate known tapeworms in northern Wisconsin and evaluate how their infection levels correlate with lake classification, intermediate host presence, and fish age and size. The final goal of this project is to investigate the development and life cycle of walleye tapeworm species. The fellow will establish lab and outdoor systems to culture both Bothriocephalus cuspidatus and Diphyllobothrium latum through their life cycles to develop a place-based model system to understand parasite and host interactions. The fellow will broaden participation of Indigenous peoples in biology by hosting Native American interns and Indigenous-focused seasonal workshops and will engage long-term with the Lac du Flambeau Nation and its community members. The fellow will also continue affiliations and trainings with the Society for the Advancement for Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) and the Summer Internship for Indigenous Peoples in Genomics (SING).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.