Molecular Microbial Pathogenesis Training Program

分子微生物发病机制培训项目

• 批准号: 6762350
• 负责人: Fernando Villalta
• 金额: $ 13.8万
• 依托单位: MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-07-01 至 2008-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6762350
• 关键词: Molecular; Microbial; Pathogenesis; Training; Program

An emerging and reemerging infectious disease crisis exist throughout the world today. Further, bioterrorism using microbes or their products poses significant threat to the USA and the entire world. Because there is a national need for scientists with expertise and training in several areas of infectious diseases, in this fourth renewal application we are expanding the scope of our Molecular Parasitology Training Program into Molecular Microbial Pathogenesis Training Program to provide graduate training in pathogenesis of diseases caused by parasites, bacteria and viruses. There continues to be a need to increase the number of minority scientists who are conducting research in the area of tropical and infectious diseases. In order to address these issues we are requesting support to continue funding the Molecular Microbial Pathogenesis Training Program administered by the Department of Microbiology at Meharry Medical College. The proposed program will provide opportunity for training six African Americans or other graduate students who are committed to a career in infectious diseases. Twenty one core faculty members at Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University will participate in the proposed graduate training. The diseases to be investigated include, malaria, Leishmaniasis, African trypanosomiasis, American trypanosomiasis, AIDS, viral gastroenteritis and encephalitis, septic shock, endocarditis, periodontitis, and the emerging pathogens Mycobacterium tuberculosis Bartonella bacilliformis and Helicobacterpylori. Students in the program will meet the Ph.D. requirements of the graduate program at Meharry and the requirements of one of the three Ph.D. tracks in the Department of Microbiology: (i) microbiology and immunology; (ii) cell and molecular biology; and (iii) genetics. This training program will also include the yearly participation of the pre-doctoral students in a Tropical and Infectious Diseases Symposium which was initiated at Meharry in 1984 and continues to be the venue each Spring for outstanding research reports on recent advances in the biochemistry, molecular biology and immunology of Tropical and Infectious Diseases. Dr. Fernando Villalta, Professor in the Department of Microbiology at Meharry Medical College, will serve as a Program Director and will be responsible for the overall administration of the program. Dr. Maria F. Lima, Dean of the School of Graduate Studies at Meharry and member of this training program, will serve as a Co-Director together with Dr. Jacek Hawiger at Vanderbilt University. They will be assisted by the Molecular Microbial Pathogenesis Training Program Advisory Committee consisting of training faculty from Meharry and Vanderbilt as well as an External Advisory Committee. Each trainee's Committee on Instruction will include members of Meharry faculty and a faculty mentor from Vanderbilt. In addition, each trainee will take at least one didactic course at Vanderbilt and participate in training there as needed. All trainees and faculty in the program will participate in a seminar series that include presentations by faculty and students in the program. This is a strong research training program administered at an institution with an excellent record of recruiting and retaining minority students in graduate programs. The goals of the proposed training program will be enhanced by the increasing number of collaborative research and training programs at Meharry and Vanderbilt resulting from a formal alliance between the institutions in 1999. The support requested will provide unique opportunities for these students and provide a positive step to address the shortage of research on emerging infections as well as the shortage of minority scientists in this discipline.

当今世界各地都存在一场新出现和再次出现的传染病危机。此外，使用微生物或其产品的生物恐怖主义对美国和整个世界构成重大威胁。由于国家需要在几个传染病领域拥有专业知识和培训的科学家，在这次第四次续签申请中，我们将把我们的分子寄生虫学培训计划的范围扩大到分子微生物致病培训计划，以提供寄生虫、细菌和病毒引起的疾病的发病机制方面的研究生培训。继续需要增加在热带和传染病领域进行研究的少数族裔科学家的人数。为了解决这些问题，我们请求继续资助由梅哈里医学院微生物学系管理的分子微生物致病培训计划。拟议的计划将为培训6名非裔美国人或 其他致力于传染病研究的研究生。梅哈里医学院和范德比尔特大学的21名核心教员将参加拟议的研究生培训。将调查的疾病包括疟疾、利什曼病、非洲锥虫病、美洲锥虫病、艾滋病、病毒性胃肠炎和脑炎， 感染性休克、心内膜炎、牙周炎，以及新出现的结核杆菌、巴尔通氏杆菌和幽门螺杆菌。该计划的学生将满足梅哈里大学研究生计划的博士要求，以及微生物学系三个博士方向之一的要求：(I)微生物学和免疫学；(Ii)细胞和 分子生物学；和(Iii)遗传学。这一培训计划还将包括博士前学生每年参加热带和传染病研讨会，该研讨会于1984年在梅哈里发起，每年春季仍然是关于热带和传染病的生物化学、分子生物学和免疫学最新进展的杰出研究报告的场所。梅哈里医学院微生物学系教授费尔南多·维拉尔塔博士将担任项目主任，负责该项目的整体管理。梅哈里研究生院院长兼该培训项目成员玛丽亚·F·利马博士将与范德比尔特大学的Jacek Hawiger博士一起担任联席主任。他们将得到分子微生物致病培训计划咨询委员会的协助，该委员会由来自Meharry和Vanderbilt的培训教师以及一个外部咨询委员会组成。每个学员的指导委员会将包括Meharry教员和来自Vanderbilt的一名教员导师。此外，每名学员将在范德比尔特至少参加一门教学课程，并根据需要参加那里的培训。该计划的所有实习生和教职员工都将参加一系列研讨会，其中包括教职员工和学生在该计划中的演讲。这是一项强大的研究培训计划，由一所在研究生项目中招收和留住少数族裔学生的优秀记录机构管理。Meharry和Vanderbilt的合作研究和培训项目数量不断增加，这将加强拟议培训方案的目标，因为这两个机构于1999年正式结盟。所要求的支持将为这些学生提供独特的机会，并为解决关于新发感染的研究不足以及该学科的少数族裔科学家短缺问题迈出积极的一步。