Midcareer Mentoring Award for Patient-Oriented Research in Chlamydia trachomatis Infection

此申请是为了更新我的K24职业中期研究者奖，以患者为导向的研究 (POR)关于沙眼衣原体（CT）感染。我，威廉·盖斯勒医生，是一名联邦资助的医生 伯明翰亚拉巴马大学（UAB）的一位科学家，他在CT感染方面具有专业知识， 指导经验。在最初的K24期间，我获得了新的资金（R 01更新，新的R 01，新的 R21等），在新的方向上扩展了我的POR计划，发表了35篇论文，成为UAB助理院长 并指导了16名早期研究人员，他们取得了许多成功 （获奖产品包括K 08、KL 2、TL 1、F30、F31-D等）。此K24续订提供的受保护时间 这将使我能够：1）拓宽我的指导知识和发展新的研究技能，2）继续 为早期研究人员提供POR指导，3）在新的方向上扩展我的研究计划。 尽管当前CT防控工作力度加大，但CT感染率仍持续上升，CT仍是最 全球流行的细菌性STI，其中一个在妇女和非洲裔美国人中存在显着差异， 与生殖疾病有关。CT疫苗是迫切需要的。然而，更好地了解 影响CT感染风险的免疫遗传决定因素，以及哪些CT抗原最具免疫原性， 需要诱导对CT保护性免疫以促进疫苗开发;我目前的POR重点是 此需求（2 R 01 AI 093692和1 R 01 AI 148359）。CT疫苗的可用性并不能确保它将被利用。 从HPV疫苗实施中吸取的教训告诉我们，心理社会和行为因素 影响STI疫苗可接受性的因素和影响CT疫苗可接受性的因素的研究。 在这次K24更新中，我计划通过教学和互动来拓宽我的指导知识 经验，发展新的研究技能，在创业和研究商业化，通过教学 以及在导师制下的体验式培训，并继续指导POR的早期研究人员。学员 将提供适合他们的职业阶段和兴趣的教育和研究经验。 指导将在我目前的CT免疫遗传学POR（上面提到的，并在此详细讨论 申请）和两个新的POR研究支持这个K24更新奖，将扩大我的CT POR 程序.新研究1旨在确定HLA-DQB 1 *06和CT特异性CD 4 + IFN-g是否有用 预测CT感染事件的生物标志物;我以前发现DQB 1 *06是一个风险标志物， IFN-γ是CT再感染的保护性标志物。研究结果可用于指导女性CT检测频率 基于由生物标志物确定的偶发CT感染风险。新研究2旨在确定有利的和 通过调查和定性访谈了解影响CT疫苗可接受性的限制因素， 设计策略以增加CT疫苗的吸收。我的POR的长期目标是改善预防 控制CT感染。因此，来自当前POR和新研究的知识解决了这一目标。

This application is for a renewal of my K24 Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (POR) on Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) Infections. I, Dr. William Geisler, am a federally-funded physician scientist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) with expertise in CT infections and significant mentoring experience. During the initial K24 period, I obtained new funding (R01 renewal, a new R01, a new R21, etc.), expanded my POR program in new directions, had 35 publications, became UAB Assistant Dean for Physician Scientist Development, and mentored 16 early stage investigators who had many successes (awards included a K08, KL2, TL1, an F30, an F31-D, etc.). The protected time afforded by this K24 renewal would enable me to: 1) broaden my mentoring knowledge and develop new research skills, 2) continue providing POR mentoring to early stage investigators, and 3) expand my research program in new directions. Despite current CT prevention and control efforts, CT infection rates continue to rise and CT remains the most prevalent bacterial STI worldwide, one with significant disparities in women and African Americans and associated with reproductive morbidity. A CT vaccine is urgently needed. However, a better understanding of immunogenetic determinants that impact CT infection risk and which CT antigens are most immunogenic and induce protective immunity to CT is needed to advance vaccine development; My Current POR is focused on this need (2R01AI093692 and 1R01AI148359). CT vaccine availability does not ensure it will be utilized. Lessons learned from HPV vaccine implementation have taught us that psychosocial and behavioral factors influence STI vaccine acceptability and studies on factors impacting CT vaccine acceptability are needed. In this K24 renewal, I plan to broaden my mentoring knowledge through didactic and interactive experiences, develop new research skills in entrepreneurship and research commercialization through didactic and experiential training under mentorship, and continue mentoring early stage investigators in POR. Mentees will be provided with educational and research experiences tailored to their career stage and interests. Mentoring will be on my Current CT immunogenetics POR (noted above and discussed in detail in this application) and on two new POR studies suported by this K24 renewal award that will expand my CT POR program. New Study 1 aims to determine if HLA-DQB1*06 and CT-specific CD4+ IFN-g can be useful biomarkers for predicting incident CT infection; I previously found that DQB1*06 was a risk marker and CD4+ IFN-g a protective marker for CT reinfection. Findings can be used to guide CT testing frequency in women based on incident CT infection risk determined by the biomarkers. New Study 2 seeks to identify enabling and limiting factors that affect acceptability of a CT vaccine through surveys and qualitative interviews to aid in designing strategies to increase CT vaccine uptake. The long-term goal of my POR is to improve prevention and control of CT infection. Thus, knowledge from Current POR and new studies addresses this goal.