Nicaraguan Emerging and Endemic Diseases (NEED) Training Program

联系PD/PI：Becker-Dreps，Sylvia 摘要 T 新出现的和地方性病毒性疾病对全球的影响越来越大，这是一个严重的公共卫生问题。爆炸品 寨卡病毒在2015年在拉丁美洲和加勒比地区蔓延，仅在两年前类似的 基孔肯雅病毒的传播模式。2017年，来自亚马逊地区的黄热病病毒在里约热内卢出现 里约热内卢，强调了大规模城市疫情爆发的风险。除了这些新出现的和重新出现的病毒， 地方性病毒继续造成很高的疾病负担。杯状病毒现在是引起 尼加拉瓜儿童腹泻、流感和呼吸道合胞病毒继续造成高负担 呼吸道疾病，所有四种登革热血清型现在都是地方性的。我们设计了一个项目来培训一名 尼加拉瓜的一支创新科学家队伍，以应对这些高度优先的新兴和地方性病原体 LMIC机构。这项计划的基本原理是通过增加 当地科学家的数量和专业知识1)描述这些病毒病原体的流行病学，2)了解 它们对发病率和死亡率的影响，以及3)确定以证据为基础的方法，以降低它们的流行率 和疾病的负担。尼加拉瓜新发和地方病(需要)培训方案采取 澳大利亚国立大学与澳大利亚国立大学之间长期关系趋同的优势 尼加拉瓜、莱昂(Unan-León)和北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校(UNC)，现有的合作伙伴 为学员项目进行研究，并提供强有力的双边机构支持。该计划的目标包括：1) 在北卡罗来纳大学为两名年轻人提供长期的传染病流行病学博士前培训 来自乌南莱昂的研究人员。这些毕业生将为乌南莱昂的核心研究人员做出贡献 解决当地紧迫的研究议程；2)创造训练有素的生物医学的可持续供应 该地区的科学家通过在联合国大学建立一个经认可的生物医学博士项目- 我们将在最初的队列中招收五名博士前候选人。该计划建立在一个成功的 微生物学硕士课程在乌南莱昂开设，填补了尼加拉瓜对严格博士学位的巨大需求-- 生物医学研究水平培训。我们还为其中五名博士前实习生提供为期一个月的支持 北卡罗来纳大学的实验室培训。3)促进140人的专业成长和研究技能发展 各级受训人员，包括当地教师，以确保学术和研究成功。稳健的短期 在专业和研究技能方面的培训需要成为一名独立调查员并取得成功 向受训人员和当地教师提供院士，以确保该计划的影响扩大到更多 大体上说。该计划将导致在Unan-Leon建立一个多学科的研究团队，以应对新兴的 以及影响区域和全球公共卫生的地方性病毒性疾病。我们的方法是可行的 通过利用Unan-León现有的成功硕士课程，并为学员提供机会 与北卡罗来纳大学和乌南莱昂大学的导师合作开展越来越多的合作研究项目。

Contact PD/PI: Becker-Dreps, Sylvia Abstract t The growing, global impact of emerging and endemic viral diseases is a critical public health issue. The explosive spread of zika virus throughout Latin America and the Caribbean in 2015 followed only two years after a similar pattern of spread of chikungunya virus. In 2017, yellow fever virus from Amazon regions emerged in Rio de Janeiro, underscoring the risk of a major urban outbreak. In addition to these emerging and reemerging viruses, endemic viruses continue to cause a high burden of disease. Caliciviruses are now the leading causes of childhood diarrhea in Nicaragua, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus continue to cause a high burden of respiratory disease, and all four dengue serotypes are now endemic. We have designed a program to train a cadre of innovative scientists in Nicaragua to confront these emerging and endemic pathogens of high priority to the LMIC institution. The rationale for this program is to protect the public health of populations by increasing the numbers and expertise of local scientists to 1) describe the epidemiology of these viral pathogens, 2) understand their impact on morbidity and mortality, and 3) identify evidence-based approaches to reduce their prevalence and burden of disease. The Nicaraguan Emerging and Endemic Diseases (NEED) Training Program takes advantage of the convergence of a longstanding relationship between Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, León (UNAN-León) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), existing collaborative research for trainee projects, and strong bilateral institutional support. The program’s objectives include: 1) Provide long-term, pre-doctoral training in infectious disease epidemiology at UNC to two young investigators from UNAN-León. These graduates will contribute to the core research faculty at UNAN-León to address pressing local research agendas; 2) Create a sustainable supply of well-trained biomedical scientists in the region by establishing an accredited PhD program in Biomedical Sciences at UNAN- León; we will enroll five pre-doctoral candidates in the initial cohort. This program builds upon a successful Master’s program of Microbiology in place at UNAN-León and fills a huge need in Nicaragua for rigorous PhD- level biomedical research training. We further support five of these pre-doctoral trainees for one-month long laboratory trainings at UNC. 3) Foster professional growth and research skills development among 140 trainees of all levels, including local faculty, to ensure academic and research success. Robust short-term trainings in professional and research skills needed to become an independent investigator and successful academician are provided to both trainees and local faculty to ensure that the program’s impacts extend more broadly. This program will result in a multidisciplinary research team at UNAN-Leon to confront the emerging and endemic viral diseases that affect public health both regionally and globally. Our approach is made feasible by leveraging an existing successful Master’s program at UNAN-León and by providing trainees the opportunity to partner with mentors at both UNC and UNAN-León on a growing array of collaborative research projects.