JHU TRAC: Training and Supporting the Next Generation of TB Researchers

摘要-JHU TRAC总体 结核病(TB)仍然是一个主要的全球健康问题，基础和临床科学的进步 迫切需要在实现世界卫生组织减少结核病的结束结核病战略目标方面取得进展 2015年至2035年期间，死亡人数减少了95%，新增病例增加了90%。约翰霍普金斯大学(JHU)中心 结核病研究(CTR)在结核病发病机制、转换模型、诊断、药物等方面一直处于全球领先地位 发展、药理学、公共卫生干预以及流行病学和经济建模 二十年了。来自CTR和JHU的研究已经改变了结核病感染和治疗的方式 疾病，阐明了结核病和艾滋病毒药物之间的相互作用，验证了新的有效性和有效性 诊断工具，并促进制定以证据为基础的全球结核病控制政策 结核病的流行病学和人口动态。然而，要在努力实现消灭结核病方面取得进一步进展 目标，更多的创新、跨学科和有影响力的研究是至关重要的，新一代结核病 必须招募和培训科学家，特别是在与卫生相关的全国代表性不足的群体中 研究(UHRR)。我们已经组建了一个由来自多个部门的多学科研究人员组成的团队 四所JHU学校(医学、公共卫生、护理和工程)，在微生物方面具有互补的专业知识 发病机制、免疫学、动物模型、成像、临床试验、诊断学、流行病学、药理学和 药物计量学、计算模型和生物统计学，以便为结核病研究提供附加值 JHU的企业优化初级调查人员的培训机会，并支持新的跨学科 合作，目标是解决结核病研究中的关键知识差距。JHU TRAC团队包括 58名研究人员，包括32名经验丰富的结核病研究人员(CTR现任成员19名)，15名高级研究人员 结核病领域的新成员和11名早期调查人员(ESI)。JHU TRAC的首要任务是推动 通过促进创新的多学科合作以及通过招聘、培训和支持开展结核病研究 初级研究人员，特别是在UHRR小组中，以培养结核病研究的下一代领导者。至 为此，JHU TRAC将侧重于以下四个领域：1)加强JHU的整合性、生产力和影响力 结核病研究；2)为下一代结核病研究人员提供指导、支持和试点资金，并 增加UHRR小组初级调查人员的渠道；3)通过以下直接服务支持结核病研究人员 一个临床核心和三个科学核心；4)通过全球参与、培训、 与高负担国家的伙伴进行外联和协作。JHU TRAC由六个核心组成 管理核心(AC)；发展核心(DC)；临床核心(CC)；微生物学、免疫学、动物 建模和成像(迈阿密)核心；药理学和药物计量学核心(PPC)；以及生物信息学， 建模和生物统计核心(BMBC)，它们将相互密切互动，以促进结核病的协同作用 进行研究，确保JHU TRAC的效用和产出大于其各部分的总和。

ABSTRACT — JHU TRAC OVERALL Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health problem, and advances in the basic and clinical sciences are urgently needed to make progress towards the World Health Organization’s End TB Strategy goal of reducing TB deaths by 95% and new cases by 90% between 2015 and 2035. The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Center for Tuberculosis Research (CTR) has been a global leader in TB pathogenesis, translational models, diagnostics, drug development, pharmacology, public health interventions, and epidemiological and economic modeling for more than two decades. Research emanating from the CTR and JHU has transformed the treatment of TB infection and disease, elucidated interactions between TB and HIV drugs, validated the efficacy and effectiveness of new diagnostic tools, and contributed to the development of evidence-based policies for global TB control, based on the epidemiology and population dynamics of TB. However, to make further progress in efforts to achieve the END TB goals, additional innovative, cross-disciplinary and impactful research is critical and a new generation of TB scientists must be recruited and trained, particularly among groups nationally underrepresented in health-related research (UHRR). We have assembled a multidisciplinary team of researchers from multiple departments spanning four JHU schools (Medicine, Public Health, Nursing and Engineering), with complementary expertise in microbial pathogenesis, immunology, animal models, imaging, clinical trials, diagnostics, epidemiology, pharmacology and pharmacometrics, computational modeling, and biostatistics, in order to provide added value to the TB research enterprise at JHU optimize training opportunities for junior investigators and support for new, interdisciplinary collaborations, with the goal of addressing key knowledge gaps in TB research. The JHU TRAC team comprises 58 researchers, including 32 experienced TB researchers (19 current members of the CTR), 15 senior researchers new to the TB field, and 11 Early Stage Investigators (ESI). The overarching mission of the JHU TRAC is to advance TB research by promoting innovative, multidisciplinary collaborations and by recruiting, training and supporting junior Investigators, especially among UHRR groups, to develop the next generation of leaders in TB research. To this end, the JHU TRAC will focus on these four areas: 1) Enhance the integration, productivity and impact of JHU TB research; 2) Provide mentoring, support, and pilot funding for the next generation of TB researchers, and to increase the pipeline of junior investigators from UHRR groups; 3) Support TB researchers with direct services from a Clinical Core and three Scientific Cores; 4) Contribute to the END TB goals through global engagement, training, outreach, and collaboration with partners in high-burden countries. The JHU TRAC is organized into six Cores (Adminsitrative Core (AC); Developmental Core (DC); Clinical Core (CC); Microbiology, Immunology, Animal Modeling and Imaging (MIAMI) Core; Pharmacology and Pharmacometrics Core (PPC); and Bioinformatics, Modeling and Biostatistics Core (BMBC), which will interact closely with each other to promote synergy in TB research, and ensure that the utility and output of the JHU TRAC is greater than the sum of its parts.