Parasitology and Vector Biology Training Program

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7. Project Summary/Abstract Parasitic diseases caused by protozoans and helminths, as well as arthropod-vectored viral diseases, continue to plague much of the developing world. Even in industrialized nations, poorer communities are deeply affected by parasitology and arboviral diseases, especially in the southern Gulf coast region of the United States. The United States has also seen the emergence of new human pathogens (e.g., Cyclospora, Chikungunya and Zika Viruses), as well as the re-emergence of well-known pathogens such as West Nile or Dengue Viruses. What is needed to combat these devastating infections is a new generation of researchers focused on parasitology and arboviral diseases; however, there are only a few NIH T32s focused on parasitology and vector-borne infectious diseases. One of these T32s is the Parasitology and Vector Biology (PVB) Training Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The goal of the PVB training program is to attract and train the next generation of parasitology/arboviral/vector biology investigators by providing opportunities to study significant, cutting-edge research problems associated with the most important neglected tropical diseases. This goal will be accomplished by trainees acquiring a solid foundation of basic to advanced knowledge through formal coursework, small focus groups and seminars, and combining this knowledge with the latest technologies to address challenging questions posed by a variety of host-pathogen systems available in the laboratories of our 14 faculty trainers. Funding for this renewal is requested for 5 years to support 4 predoctoral trainees per year. After matriculating into one of three main graduate degree programs, new-entry or post-dissertator PVB trainees will be appointed for 2 years. In addition to meeting their degree program requirements, trainees also are required to complete a research ethics course, complete an individual development plan and update it yearly, and present their research annually in the PVB seminar series. In an effort to increase the diversity of graduate students seeking advanced degrees in parasitology and tropical medicine, plans are described to identify and recruit under-represented minority (URM) students. The plan enacted during the last cycle was highly effective as half of our PVB trainees are URMs. Providing cutting edge and well-rounded training in molecular parasitology and arboviral biology for predoctoral trainees has been and will continue to be our mission. Given the worldwide need to combat these infections, we must train the next generation to think broadly about parasite and arthropod-vectored diseases so that novel solutions to the devastation they cause can be found.