Malaria and Mosquito/Tick-borne Diseases

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Project Summary The training program in Malaria and Mosquito/Tick-borne Diseases research requests support for three predoctoral students selected from a large pool of highly qualified applicants and two postdoctoral positions both for a two-year fellowship. The training program is situated within the Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and Epidemiology departments of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health as well as Pharmacology in the School of Medicine. The 25 training faculty, across three departments, have a wide range of collaborative experience and expertise in cellular and molecular biology, immunology, epidemiology genomics, and therapeutic interventions of malaria as well as with the mosquito and tick vectors associated with malaria, bacteria and viral transmission. The state-of-the-art insectary is a training facility which generates mosquitoes weekly as the foundational nexus for novel multi-disciplinary, collaborative cutting-edge research. A separate tickery will be built. The goal of the training program is to provide trainees with both a firm foundation in the basic disciplines (microbiology, vector biology and immunology) necessary for the study of mosquito/tick-borne diseases as well as a critical perspective that will enable them to apply their knowledge creatively to public health problems or outbreaks at a national or global scale. Each predoctoral student will have already completed a series of required courses in the basic disciplines of cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, epidemiology, bacteriology, parasitology, virology, vector biology and immunology, as well as courses in research ethics and public health perspectives. Students who have finished required courses, three 10-week laboratory rotations and have selected a thesis advisor in a mosquito/tick-borne diseases laboratory will be candidates for this doctoral training program. Based on a competitive assessment of academic excellence and a demonstrated commitment to work in a mosquito/tick-borne diseases laboratory predoctoral students will be selected by the training faculty committee in the spring of the second year, and postdoctoral fellows are eligible at any time in their training. Mentoring training is also required for PhD training faculty. A major innovation developed during the current funding cycle is a new certificate-granting program named Rigor, Reproducibility and Responsibility (R3). Both predoctoral and postdoctoral appointed trainees will be required to take a single R3 courses each year of appointment. The R3 curriculum is vigorous, definitive, school and departmental response to responsible conduct of research issues. Predoctoral student academic and research progress will be monitored by the departmental Graduate Program Committee and by the Thesis Advisory Committee, with special attention to student’s Individual Development Plan. Postdoctoral fellows will also have a Fellowship Advisory Committee and Individual Development Plan.