Nicaraguan Emerging and Endemic Diseases (NEED) Training Program

摘要 新出现的和地方性病毒性疾病对全球的影响越来越大，这是一个严重的公共卫生问题。爆炸品 2015年寨卡病毒在拉丁美洲和加勒比地区的传播仅在两年前类似的 基孔肯雅病毒的传播模式。2017年，来自亚马逊地区的黄热病病毒在里约热内卢出现 里约热内卢，强调了城市大爆发的风险，2020年整个世界都受到了 SARS-CoV-2大流行。除了这些新出现的和重新出现的病毒外，地方性病毒继续 造成很高的疾病负担。杯状病毒现在是尼加拉瓜儿童腹泻的主要原因， 流感和呼吸道合胞病毒继续造成呼吸道疾病的高负担，这四种病毒 登革热血清型现在是地方性的。我们设计了一项培训尼加拉瓜创新干部的计划 科学家应对这些新出现的和地方性的高度优先的病原体。这项计划的基本原理是 通过将当地科学家的人数和专业知识增加到1)来保护公众健康 描述这些病毒病原体的流行病学，2)了解它们对发病率和死亡率的影响，以及 3)确定以证据为基础的方法，以减少其患病率和疾病负担。我们的节目是原创的 目标包括：1)在北卡罗来纳大学提供长期的传染病流行病学博士前培训 来自乌南-莱昂的两名年轻研究人员。这些毕业生将为传染病研究做出贡献 在该地区解决紧迫的当地研究议程；2)创造训练有素的可持续供应 该地区的生物医学科学家通过建立生物医学科学的认可博士项目 在乌南-莱昂，我们将在最初的队列中招收五名博士前候选人。该计划建立在一个 乌南莱昂大学微生物学硕士项目取得成功，填补了该地区对博士学位的巨大需求-- 训练有素的传染病调查员。3)促进专业成长和研究技能发展 在140名各级受训人员中，包括当地教师，以确保学术和研究成功。 需要在专业和研究技能方面进行强有力的短期培训，以成为独立调查员 并向学员和当地教职员工提供成功的院士，以确保该计划的影响 延伸得更广。在我们获奖的最后一年尼加拉瓜发生了不幸的政治事件 迫使我们调整我们的第二个目标，因为我们不再能够与Unan-León合作。 生物医学博士生需要在国外完成博士培训。的目标是 这份行政副刊是为了资助他们与有经验的微生物学教授在 哥斯达黎加大学是该地区仅有的几所提供博士培训的大学之一。我们也 为一名因严重冠状病毒感染而延迟博士培训的学员申请额外一年的资助。 这将确保在这些人身上所做的投资转化为他们完成博士学位 培训和提高中美洲的传染病研究能力。

ABSTRACT The growing, global impact of emerging and endemic viral diseases is a critical public health issue. The explosive spread of Zika virus throughout Latin America and the Caribbean in 2015 followed only two years after a similar pattern of spread of chikungunya virus. In 2017, yellow fever virus from Amazon regions emerged in Rio de Janeiro, underscoring the risk of a major urban outbreak, and in 2020 the entire world were affected by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In addition to these emerging and reemerging viruses, endemic viruses continue to cause a high burden of disease. Caliciviruses are now the leading causes of childhood diarrhea in Nicaragua, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus continue to cause a high burden of respiratory disease, and all four dengue serotypes are now endemic. We have designed a program to train a cadre of innovative Nicaraguan scientists to confront these emerging and endemic pathogens of high priority. The rationale for this program is to protect the public health of populations by increasing the numbers and expertise of local scientists to 1) describe the epidemiology of these viral pathogens, 2) understand their impact on morbidity and mortality, and 3) identify evidence-based approaches to reduce their prevalence and burden of disease. Our program’s original objectives included: 1) Provide long-term, pre-doctoral training in infectious disease epidemiology at UNC to two young investigators from UNAN-León. These graduates will contribute to infectious disease research in the region to address pressing local research agendas; 2) Create a sustainable supply of well-trained biomedical scientists in the region by establishing an accredited PhD program in Biomedical Sciences at UNAN-León; we will enroll five pre-doctoral candidates in the initial cohort. This program built upon a successful Master’s program of Microbiology in place at UNAN-León and fills a huge need in the region for PhD- trained infectious disease investigators. 3) Foster professional growth and research skills development among 140 trainees of all levels, including local faculty, to ensure academic and research success. Robust short-term trainings in professional and research skills needed to become an independent investigator and successful academician were provided to both trainees and local faculty to ensure that the program’s impacts extend more broadly. Unfortunate political events in Nicaragua during the final year of our award have forced us to adapt our second objective, as we are no longer able to partner with UNAN-León. Our 3 Biomedical Sciences PhD students need to complete their PhD training outside the country. The goal of this Administrative Supplement is to fund their training with experienced microbiology faculty at the University of Costa Rica, one of the only universities in the region to provide PhD training. We also request an additional year of funding for a trainee whose PhD training was delayed due to severe COVID. This will ensure that the investment made in these individuals translates into the completion of their PhD training and the increase in infectious disease research capacity in Central America.