UNC-South China STD Research Training Conference

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Description (as provided by the applicant): Asia has an estimated 151 million curable sexually transmitted diseases each year, yet there is limited capacity in many Asian regions to undertake major research or training. Most major STD conferences are held in high-income regions and disproportionately focus on research undertaken in high-income nations. This multi-disciplinary STD conference will be hosted in South China (Guangzhou), a region characterized by a resurgent syphilis epidemic and increasing STD incidence. Building on the foundation of UNC Chapel Hill-China programs going back to 1979 in addition to strong Chinese capacity for conference organizing, our conference will help nurture the next generation of STD research investigators in Asia. The initial day of the June 2012 meeting will have 200 participants followed by nine days focused on 30-40 junior STD investigators who will be chosen based on research background and commitment to STD research. Conference topics include microbial and viral pathogenesis, clinical research, epidemiology, and social science. The conference program will be refined by an internationally recognized steering committee. Our aims for the conference include: 1) Provide a general overview of the most important STD research globally (including HPV, HCV); 2) Instruct junior investigators about research methods, ranging from ethics to implementation to modeling; 3) Enhance global health collaboration in order to sustain long-term training and research programs in Asia. This conference will disseminate all course materials online for participants, generate a strategic plan for sustaining the conference, and foster new collaborative research teams. Each selected junior investigator will be matched with a local and a UNC mentor to facilitate individualized research training and career development. Junior investigators will present posters, but most talks will be oral presentations and encourage small group discussion. The majority of support for this conference will come from the Guangdong Provincial STD Control Center and UNC Chapel Hill. Public Health Relevance: This joint UNC-South China STD research training conference will enhance local research capacity focused on global STD research, help junior investigators identify local and UNC mentors, and facilitate a South China network of STD researchers.