PECASE: Acculturation, Health, and the Ecology of Immune Function: Integrated Research and Education in Human Population Biology

提案标题：PECASE：文化适应，健康和免疫功能的生态学：人口生物学的综合研究和教育机构：西北大学文化适应和城市化与广泛的人类健康问题有关，但这种关联是混合的：一些研究强调了改善基础设施、卫生服务和教育的健康益处，而另一些研究则提请注意与压力有关的、慢性变性和特应性疾病。需要在这一领域开展进一步研究，特别是因为世界各地的土著群体正日益融入单一的全球经济。以前的研究主要集中在成年人身上，需要对儿童和青少年面临的具体健康问题以及他们在快速文化变革背景下的独特经历进行更多的研究。此外，需要改进用于评估健康和人类生物学的方法，以克服在实地环境中进行研究的制约因素。该项目旨在解决这些问题，以实现以下目标：1）在低地玻利维亚社会和经济转型的背景下调查免疫功能和儿童/青少年健康，2）开发和评估用于评估偏远地区免疫能力的微创方法，以及3）创造一系列教育机会，其中高中，本科，研究生，最初的研究工作（项目1）将集中在低地玻利维亚的文化变化和健康的前瞻性研究。将从9个村庄招募600名年龄在5至20岁之间的参与者，并将在多个时间点收集社会文化，人口统计，社会经济，人体测量和发病率数据。将采集唾液和手指采血样本，以评估免疫功能和健康的生理标志物。通过在一系列文化生态环境中应用一套统一的生物和社会文化方法，该项目将调查文化适应的多层面性质及其对儿童和青少年福祉的积极和消极影响。此外，评估免疫能力，使用的方法，不需要静脉穿刺，结合生长和发病率将揭示潜在的生理过程，可能介导的文化生态环境的变化和不利的生长和健康结果之间的关联。随后的研究工作（项目2和3）将致力于免疫发展的比较分析：将在从玻利维亚、萨摩亚和美国的5-20岁儿童中收集的样本中比较免疫力的多个维度，以深入了解免疫发育的变化范围，并探索比较，从生态学的角度来理解目前对人类免疫功能的理解。该项目的更广泛的优点包括一些教育举措：1）在人类生物学研究中开发两门课程; 2）指导本科生的研究经验; 3）为研究生举办实验室方法暑期讲习班; 4）在玻利维亚培训国际学生; 5）与当地一所高中建立伙伴关系，为高中生提供实习和研究机会。参与的学生将参与科学过程，将新的方法技能应用于人类生物学和健康问题，并成为合作研究社区的成员。该项目最初作为CAREER奖资助，并于2004年5月转换为总统工程师和科学家早期职业奖（PECASE）奖。

Proposal Title: PECASE: Acculturation, health, and the ecology of immune function: Integrated research and education in human population biologyInstitution: Northwestern UniversityAcculturation and urbanization have been linked to a wide range of human health issues, but the associations are mixed: A number of studies highlight the health benefits of improved access to infrastructure, health services, and education, while others draw attention to rising rates of stress-related, chronic degenerative, and atopic diseases. Further research in this area is needed, especially since indigenous groups around the world are becoming increasingly incorporated into a single global economy. Previous research has focused largely on adults, and additional research is needed on the specific health issues confronting children and adolescents, and their unique experiences in the context of rapid culture change. In addition, improvements in the methods used to assess health and human biology are required to overcome the constraints of research conducted in field settings. This project addresses these issues in pursuit of the following objectives: 1) investigate immune function and child/adolescent health in the context of social and economic transitions in lowland Bolivia, 2) develop and evaluate minimally-invasive methods for assessing immunocompetence in remote field settings, and 3) create a series of educational opportunities in which high school, undergraduate, graduate, and international students can participate in mentored original research.Initial research efforts (Project 1) will be focused on a prospective study of culture change and health in lowland Bolivia. 600 participants between the ages of 5 and 20 years will be recruited from 9 villages, and sociocultural, demographic, socioeconomic, anthropometric, and morbidity data will be collected at multiple time points. Saliva and finger prick blood samples will be collected to assess physiological markers of immune function and health. By applying a uniform set of biological and socio-cultural methods across a range of cultural-ecological settings, this project will investigate the multidimensional nature of acculturation, and its positive and negative implications for child and adolescent well-being. In addition, assessment of immunocompetence-using methods that do not require venipuncture-in conjunction with growth and morbidity will reveal underlying physiological processes that may mediate the associations between shifting cultural-ecological environments and adverse growth and health outcomes. Subsequent research efforts (Projects 2 and 3) will be dedicated to a comparative analysis of immune development: Multiple dimensions of immunity will be compared in samples collected from 5-20 year-olds in Bolivia, Samoa, and the U.S. to gain insight into the range of variation in immune development, and to explore the contribution of a comparative, ecological perspective to current understandings of human immune function.Broader merits of the project include a number of educational initiatives: 1) development of a two-course sequence in Human Biology Research; 2) mentored research experience for undergraduate students; 3) summer workshop in laboratory methods for graduate students; 4) training of international students in Bolivia, and 5) establishment of a partnership with a local high school to provide internship and research opportunities for high school students. Participating students will engage in the scientific process, apply new methodological skills to issues in human biology and health, and become members of a collaborative research community.This project was originally funded as a CAREER award, and was converted to a Presidential Early Career Award for Engineers and Scientists (PECASE) award in May 2004.