US-UK Collab: RCN: Vector Behavior in Transmission Ecology (VectorBiTE)

 描述（由申请人提供）：传播生态学研究协调网络中的病媒行为（VectorBiTE RCN）将促进对病媒行为和生活史在疾病传播动力学中的作用的调查。拟议的工作旨在通过促进（1）发展理论模型，其中包括更多关于病媒行为和异质性的细节;（2）改进数据收集和统计方法，使这些模型能够面对数据;（3）发展全面和免费提供的验证数据集，以便以透明的方式测试方法和比较拟议的模型;以及（4）随着这些新工具和方法的发展，对年轻的研究人员进行培训。这些目标将通过以下方式实现：（A）年度会议和讲习班，将不同系统和机构的经验和理论生物学家聚集在一起;（B）开发一个在线平台，其中有关于病媒行为的数据库和行为对传播动态作用的建模代码;和（C）提供机会，教育研究人员和公众有关网络的进步，通过在线和会议演示。智力优势：在模型中，复杂的病媒行为和生活史特征通常表示为固定值，不随病媒寿命、病媒感染状况或条件或环境变化而变化。越来越多的经验证据表明，病媒行为生态学在所有这些尺度上确实各不相同。然而，工具，将这种变化，以了解传输动态缺乏。这一差距提出了一些关键问题，例如：受感染媒介的行为改变是否会改变疾病动力学？哪些条件促进传播，全球化和气候变化将如何改变病媒传播疾病的分布和强度？哪些控制策略可以最大限度地减少传播/耐药性的演变？要了解这些疾病在医学、野生动物、兽医和农业环境中的动态，需要确定这种变化是否对解释动态很重要。该区域网络将促进合作，以开发将病媒生态与传播联系起来的新方法。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Vector Behavior in Transmission Ecology Research Coordination Network (VectorBiTE RCN) will facilitate investigation into the role of vector behavior and life history in disease transmission dynamics. The proposed work aims to accomplish this by promoting (1) the development of theoretical models that include more details of vector behavior and heterogeneity; (2) improved data collection and statistical methods to enable such models to be confronted with data; (3) development of comprehensive and freely available validation datasets to allow testing of methods and comparison between proposed models in a transparent fashion; and (4) training of young researchers in these new tools and methods as they are developed. These objectives will be accomplished through: (A) annual meetings and workshops to bring together empirical and theoretical biologists across diverse systems and institutions; (B) the development of an online platform with repositories for data on vector behavior and code for modeling the role of behavior on transmission dynamics; and (C) providing opportunities to educate fellow researchers and the public about network advances via online and conference presentations. Intellectual Merit: Complex vector behaviors and life history traits are often expressed as fixed values in models and do not vary over vector lifespan, with vector infection status or condition, or in response to environmental variation. There is mounting empirical evidence that vector behavioral ecology does vary across all of these scales. However, tools to incorporate this variability to understand transmission dynamics are lacking. This gap presents key questions such as: Do altered behaviors in infected vectors alter disease dynamics? What conditions promote transmission and how will globalization and climate change alter the distribution and intensity of vector borne diseases? Which control strategies might minimize the evolution of transmission/resistance? Understanding the dynamics of these diseases across medical, wildlife, veterinary, and agricultural settings, requires determining whether this variation is important for explaining dynamics. This RCN will facilitate collaborations to develop new approaches linking vector ecology with transmission.