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厄瓜多尔缺乏指导有效公共卫生方案的实施和评估的基本知识以及知情的卫生政策的根本原因。这项建议的总体目标是获得生物和临床信息，以改善厄瓜多尔目前的恰加斯病控制工作，同时实施健全和可持续的传染病研究培训计划。这里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1990年的S会议上建立的牢固的合作关系，以及这些机构开展研究和培训合作的成功记录。该计划将侧重于博士后和博士后水平的长期培训。受训人员研究项目将嵌套在三个正在进行的相互关联的研究倡议中，目前由厄瓜多尔的P.D.和合作教员领导。这些举措包括：1.开发改进的克氏锥虫标准化基因分型方法，并将其用于克氏锥虫菌株的鉴定；2.确定三聚氰胺的分布和人口流动，包括房屋感染和再感染模式，及其与克氏锥虫基因类型的关系；3.确定查加斯病发病率和死亡率与该国现有的克氏锥虫菌株之间的关系，并改进现有的病例检测和诊断算法。该提案包含了一项招募受训人员进入技术和教职岗位的坚实计划。此外，该方案还为招募在厄瓜多尔境外获得高级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厄瓜多尔基多建立“热带病研究区域培训中心”。该项目将由PUCE在基多附近的新园区建造一座7万平方英尺的新建筑，将于2013年完工。这个设施将有能力容纳16名首席调查人员、相关工作人员和研究实习生的实验室和办公室。总体而言，拟议的培训计划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，培养科学家作为高效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。 公共卫生相关性：厄瓜多尔在控制恰加斯病和其他传染病的传播方面远远落后于南美洲其他国家，部分原因是缺乏适当的研究基础设施和训练有素的人员。这一培训方案将建设厄瓜多尔天主教大学进行高水平研究的能力，这些研究有助于控制这一疾病和其他被忽视的疾病。

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.