Systems-Level Research in Microbial Pathogenesis

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PROJECT SUMMARY This training program in “Systems-Level Research in Microbial Pathogenesis” will formalize and strengthen interdisciplinary research in microbial pathogenesis and high-throughput science that interrogates parasites, fungi, bacteria, and viruses more completely at the systems-level. The University of Maryland Baltimore has exceptional strength and depth in microbiology, infectious disease, vaccinology, genomics, and bioinformatics with >100 faculty with research in these areas. The nineteen senior training faculty and seven junior training faculty are drawn from the world class microbial pathogenesis research programs in the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy; including scientists from two of the university's internationally renowned research institutes—the Center for Vaccine Development and the Institute for Genome Sciences. These faculty have >1000 publications in the past ten years and 93 grants with average direct costs of $1,707,495/year. They will develop and participate in a new graduate course targeting these trainees that is aimed at interdisciplinary research at the intersection of microbial pathogenesis and systems-level research. Predoctoral trainees will be selected from two interdepartmental doctoral programs that include a common core curriculum, elective courses, journal clubs, seminars, annual symposia, and graduate research presentations. The selected predoctoral students will also include trainees from the School of Medicine MD/PhD program and the School of Dentistry DDS/PhD program. Academic work will be combined with rigorous mentored research training in the research groups of the training faculty, who have current and past training grant eligible predoctoral trainees with an average of 4.0 publications/trainee. Postdoctoral trainees will be selected through recruitment of new fellows to the University of Maryland Baltimore. Our training grant eligible postdoctoral trainees have been equally productive with 4.5 publications/trainee. The program is guided by a highly qualified team of three Co- Directors (MPIs) with two serving as track leaders, as well as an internal Executive Committee. An External Advisory Committee has also been established that will evaluate the program. Our trainees will be further focused on systems-level research in microbial pathogenesis through a change in our curriculum, as well as unique opportunities that will aid in recruitment and development of more students in this area. Programs that distinguish trainees from the larger pool of graduate students, to promote and enhance their training, include (i) oral presentations at the annual University of Maryland intercampus Crosstalk symposium, (ii) regular training program research meetings, (iii) teaching opportunities in graduate and medical courses, (iv) opportunities to present at national or international conferences, (v) opportunities to present in internal seminar series, (vi) formalized career mentoring and career-focused networking, and (vii) formal training in mentorship and mentoring an undergraduate or high school student from groups typically underrepresented in science, helping to build our robust pipeline for developing diverse scientists.