Parasitology and Vector Biology Training Program

描述(由申请人提供)：建议继续进行博士前培训计划，以前名为“细胞和分子寄生虫学培训计划”，但在本申请中更名为“寄生虫学和病媒生物学(PVB)培训计划”。这一更名反映了我们教员名册的显著扩大，包括专注于虫媒病毒疾病和媒介传播的教员研究人员，同时仍保留其强大的寄生虫学教员核心。拟议的PVB培训计划的总体目标是通过提供机会研究与最重要的被忽视的热带疾病有关的重大前沿研究问题，吸引和培训下一代寄生虫学/虫媒病毒/媒介生物学研究人员。要做到这一点，受训者将通过正式的课程作业、小组讨论和研讨会获得从基础到高级知识的坚实基础，并将这些知识与最新技术相结合，以解决我们14名教员培训人员的实验室中提供的各种宿主-病原体系统提出的挑战性问题。目前正在调查范围广泛的人类病原体，包括弓形虫、非洲锥虫、丝虫线虫、蛔虫、血吸虫、虫媒病毒(西尼罗河病毒、登革热病毒、布尼亚病毒)以及节肢动物、软体动物和线虫媒介。申请为期5年的资金，以支持每年4名博士前实习生。在进入四个指定的研究生学位课程之一后，新入职的或博士后PVB学员将被任命为2-3年。除了满足学位课程要求外，学员还必须完成一门研究伦理课程，每年在PVB研讨会系列中展示他们的研究，并参加全球健康研讨会系列的讲座。为了增加寻求寄生虫学和热带医学高级学位的研究生的多样性，描述了识别和招收URM/弱势学生的计划。在上一个资金周期中，我们试行了一项创新计划，以评估我们的培训资助计划，该计划涉及每年一次的多机构T32寄生虫学务虚会，并在本申请中建议继续进行。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Proposed is the continuation of a predoctoral training program, formerly titled the "Cellular and Molecular Parasitology Training Program", but re-named in this application the "Parasitology and Vector Biology (PVB) Training Program". This name change reflects a significant expansion of our trainer roster to include faculty researchers focusing on arboviral diseases and vector transmission, while still retaining its strong parasitology trainer core. The overall goal of the proposed 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 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. A wide range of human pathogens are currently under investigation including Toxoplasma, African trypanosomes, filarial nematodes, Ascaris, schistosomes, arboviruses (West Nile, Dengue, bunyavirus), as well as arthropod, mollusc and nematode vectors. Funding is requested for 5 years to support 4 predoctoral trainees per year. After matriculating into one of four designated graduate degree programs, new-entry or post-dissertator PVB trainees will be appointed for 2-3 years. In addition to meeting their degree program requirements, trainees also are required to complete a research ethics course, annually present their research in the PVB seminar series and attend lectures in the Global Health Seminar Series. In efforts to increase the diversity of graduate students seeking advanced degrees in parasitology and tropical medicine, plans are described to identify and recruit URM/disadvantaged students. An innovative plan for evaluating our training grant program involving annual multi-institution T32 parasitology retreats was piloted in the last funding cycle, and its continuation is proposed in th present application.