Regional Training Center for Tropical Disease Research in Quito-Ecuador

描述（由申请人提供）：缺乏训练有素的科学家和研究基础设施是导致厄瓜多尔缺乏指导有效公共卫生项目实施和评估以及知情卫生政策的基本知识的根本原因。这项建议的总体目标是获取生物和临床信息，以改善厄瓜多尔目前的南美锥虫病控制工作，同时实施一项健全和可持续的传染病研究培训方案。本文提出的培训计划将利用俄亥俄大学（OU）和厄瓜多尔天主教大学（PUCE）在20世纪90年代建立的强大合作关系，以及这些机构开展的成功研究和培训合作的记录。该项目将侧重于博士后和博士前水平的长期培训。实习研究项目将嵌套到三个正在进行的相互关联的研究计划中，目前由博士和厄瓜多尔的合作教师领导。这些倡议包括：1。克氏锥虫改良的标准化基因分型方法及其在克氏锥虫菌株鉴定中的应用；2. 确定锥蝽分布和种群流动，包括室内侵染和再侵染模式及其与克氏锥虫基因型的关系；和3。确定恰加斯病发病率和死亡率与该国存在的克氏t型病毒株之间的关系，并改进目前的病例发现和诊断算法。该提案包含了一项坚实的计划，以招聘受训人员担任将在北京政治大学担任的技术和教师职位。此外，该方案还为招聘在厄瓜多尔境外获得高等学位的厄瓜多尔人提供了一个框架。内部研究专门知识的增加将导致在基多-厄瓜多尔建立一个“热带病研究区域培训中心”。该项目将被安置在由PUCE在基多附近的新校区建造的7万平方英尺的新建筑中，该建筑将于2013年完工。该设施将有能力容纳16名主要研究人员、相关工作人员和研究实习生的实验室和办公室。总的来说，拟议的培训方案将有助于缓解厄瓜多尔严重缺乏训练有素的技术人员和研究人员的问题，促进科学家作为有效的公共卫生政策制定者的作用，并对厄瓜多尔的研究能力产生重要影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The lack of adequately trained scientists and research infrastructure is the under lying cause of the lack of basic knowledge to guide the implementation and evaluation of effective public health programs as well as informed health policies in Ecuador. The overall objective of this proposal is to obtain biological and clinical information that will improve current Chagas disease control efforts in Ecuador, while implementing a sound and sustainable training program in infectious disease research. The training program proposed herein will take advantage of the strong collaborative relationship established in the 1990's between Ohio University (OU) and Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE), and the track record of successful research and training collaboration carried out by these institutions. The program will focus on long term training at the postdoctoral and predoctoral levels. Trainee research projects will be nested into three ongoing interrelated research initiatives currently led by the P.D. and collaborating faculty in Ecuador. These initiatives include: 1. the development of improved standardized genotyping methods for T. cruzi, and their use for Trypanosoma cruzi strain characterization; 2. determination of Triatomine distribution and population flow, including house infestation and re-infestation patterns, and their relationship with T. cruzi genotypes; and 3. determination of the relationship between Chagas disease morbidity and mortality with T. cruzi strains present in the country and improvement of current case detection and diagnostic algorithms. The proposal contains a solid plan for the recruitment of trainees into technical and faculty positions that will be at PUCE. In addition, the program provides a framework for the recruitment of Ecuadorians who have received advanced degrees outside of Ecuador. The increase of in-house research expertise will lead to the establishment of a "Regional Training Center for Tropical Disease Research" in Quito-Ecuador. The program will be housed in a new 70,000 square feet building being constructed by PUCE in its new campus near Quito, to be completed by 2013. This facility will have the capacity to house the labs and offices of 16 principal investigators, associated staff, and research trainees. Overall, the proposed training program will help alleviate the severe lack of well trained technical personnel and researchers in Ecuador, foster the role of scientists as efficient public health policymakers, and have an important effect in the research capability of Ecuador. PULBIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Ecuador lags far behind other countries of South America in terms of control of transmission of Chagas disease and other infectious diseases due in part to the lack of adequate research infrastructure and trained personnel. This training program will build the capacity of Catholic University of Ecuador to conduct high level research that can contribute to the control of this and other neglected diseases.