The training program in emerging and reemerging infectious diseases supports postdoctoral trainees and prepares them for clinical, epidemiologic, applied or basic careers in the field. Training is provided by 20 Program Faculty and 21 Associate Program Faculty, encompassing multidisciplinary approaches and the resources of several departments including Human Biological Chemistry and Genetics, Internal Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, Pediatrics, Pathology, and Preventive Medicine and Community Health, as well as the Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, the WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases (CTD), the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, and the Sealy Center for Structural Biology. UTMB also hosts the World Reference Center for Arboviruses. UTMB has extensive BSL-3 bench laboratory and animal research facilities, and a recently constructed BSL-4 laboratory. UTMB also has started construction of one of the two NIH/NIAD - supported National Biocontainment Laboratories, the Galveston National Laboratory, with a June 2008 projected opening date. The university has made a major commitment to research and training in the field by recruitment of senior, established faculty to facilitate research and training in the field. Approximately 90 faculty at UTMB conduct research projects in infectious diseases of all types. Very few medical schools in the United States can now claim to have a faculty as large, as diverse but collaborative in multidisciplinary studies, and of such excellence in the area of emerging infectious diseases.
The program offers training in two broad tracks: (1) basic investigation; and (2) clinical investigation. In the second tract, the trainee is encouraged to obtain an M.Sc.. degree through the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health. In addition, the program offers basic and clinical investigation training in a specific Biodefense Track, addressing CDC/NIAID class A, B, and C pathogens. The major objective of the training program is to foster development of basic or clinical research skills along with a collaborative approach to enable trainees to become independent investigators in the field of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, including research regarding pathogens considered to be potential bioterrorist threats. Research is conducted in all of the relevant pathogen-related disciplines, in pathogenetic mechanisms, and in vector biology. A strong feature of the proposed training program is the extensive availability of international field research experience. Training is thus available from state-of-the-art laboratories at UTMB to the most effective current techniques for research in the field. The trainees will be thoroughly oriented regarding contemporary problems in the relevant disciplines and will be provided with outstanding research opportunities. Most importantly, they will be prepared to embark on careers characterized by continual self improvement and utilization of future opportunities for collaboration and cross-disciplinary problem solving.
This NIH/NIAID-funded program provides support for research training only. Research training can be combined with clinical training in infectious diseases for individuals with MD's and prior residency training in Internal Medicine or Pediatrics. Clinical training is supported by other funding sources. Individuals desiring clinical as well as research training may be eligible for research training support under this NIH/NIAID program if they meet the criteria listed below. For information regarding combined clinical and research training in infectious diseases visit our sites at:
Eligibility
- M.D./Ph.D./D.V.M.
- U.S. citizens or permanent resident non-citizen nationals
- Established interest and/or experience in emerging and reemerging infectious diseases
Individuals desiring research training in this area, but ineligible for NIH support, should consider applying for training under the James W. McLaughlin Fellowship Fund program.
Participating UTMB Programs and Departments:
The primary department appointment is shown for each member of the faculty. Most of the program faculty members have secondary appointments in other departments and are members of the Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, the WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, and the Sealy Center for Structural Biology.
Nominations:
EMERGING AND REEMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES PROGRAM FACULTY
NAME, Primary (Secondary) Appointment(s)
RESEARCH INTERESTS
ROLE IN PROGRAM
E-mail AddressesPROGRAM DIRECTOR AND ASSOCIATE PROGRAM DIRECTORS
Norbert J. Roberts, Jr., MD
Internal Medicine/Infectious DiseasesPathogenesis of influenza virus, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection; antiviral immunity, immunogenetics and immunoregulation Director,
Program Faculty
nroberts@utmb.eduDennis M. Walling, MD
Internal Medicine/Infectious DiseasesMolecular epidemiology and pathogenesis of Epstein-Barr virus infections Associate Director,
Program Faculty
dwalling@utmb.eduPROGRAM FACULTY
Alan D.T. Barrett, PhD
PathologyFlaviviruses, molecular determinants of virus pathogenicity, vaccine development Program Faculty
abarrett@utmb.eduD. Mark Estes, PhD
Pediatrics
Immunoregulation, vaccine development, effects of gender on immune function Program Faculty dmestes@utmb.edu
Roberto P. Garofalo, MD
PediatricsCellular and molecular mechanisms of respiratory syncytial virus infection; Pathogenesis of virus- induced asthma/allergic sensitization. Program Faculty
rpgarofa@utmb.eduStephen Higgs, Ph.D.
PathologyResearch on Arthropod-born viruses, with an interest focusing on mosquito-virus-vertebrate interactions Program Faculty
sthiggs@utmb.edu
Gary R. Klimpel, PhD
Microbiology & ImmunologyCell-mediated immunity in defense against enteric bacterial infections, cellular immune responses to hepatitis C virus Program Faculty
gklimpel@utmb.eduStanley M. Lemon, MD
Microbiology & ImmunologyMolecular virology and pathogenesis of positive-strand RNA hepatitis viruses, mechanisms of cap-independent viral translation Program Faculty
smlemon@utmb.eduShinji Makino, DVM, PhD
Microbiology & Immunology
Molecular biology and virus-host cell interactions of coronaviruses and bunya viruses
Program Faculty
shmakino@utmb.edu
David W. Niesel, PhD
Microbiology & ImmunologyGenetic and molecular basis of virulence of Gram negative enteric pathogens, recombinant vaccine development in Salmonella Program Faculty
dniesel@utmb.eduWilliam A. O'Brien, MS, MD
Internal Medicine/ Infectious DiseasesMolecular pathogenesis of HIV infection, molecular monitoring for clinical trials Program Faculty
wobrien@utmb.eduClarence James Peters, M.D.
Microbiology & ImmunologyEmerging Infectious Diseases Program Faculty
cjpeters@utmb.edu
Johnny W. Peterson, PhD
Microbiology & ImmunologyPathogenesis of bacterial diseases and immunologic intervention Program Faculty
jpeterso@utmb.eduVictor Reyes, PhD
PediatricsDevelopment of immune responses to infectious agents, epithelium-microorganism interaction, Helicobacter pylori Program Faculty
vreyes@utmb.eduChiaho Shih, PhD
PathologyMolecular biology and immunopathology of human hepatitis viruses; Mechanisms of persistence and oncogenesis of hepatitis B and C viruses Program Faculty
cshih@utmb.eduLynn Soong, MD, PhD
Microbiology & ImmunologyImmunological mechanisms in New World leishmaniasis, and vaccine development. Program Faculty
lysoong@utmb.eduLawrence R. Stanberry, M.D., Ph.D.
Pediatrics, Sealy Center for Vaccine DevelopmentDevelopment of
prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines, basic studies of the pathogenesis and immunobiology of herpes simplex virus, the
development of topical microbicides to control sexually transmitted infections, and the special problem of genital herpes infection in teenagers.Program Faculty
lrstanbe@utmb.edu
Robert B. Tesh, MD, MS
PathologyEpidemiology of vector-borne and zoonotic diseases Program Faculty
rtesh@utmb.eduDavid H. Walker, MD
PathologyImmunity and pathogenesis of rickettsial and ehrlicheal infections Program Faculty
dwalker@utmb.eduScott C. Weaver, PhD
PathologyEcology, evolution and pathogenesis of arthropod-borne viral diseases, and molecular mechanisms of virus-vector interactions Program Faculty
sweaver@utmb.eduASSOCIATE PROGRAM FACULTY
Thomas Albrecht, PhD
Microbiology & ImmunologyMolecular and cellular pathogenesis of human cytomegalovirus Assoc. Program Faculty
talbrech@utmb.eduJudith F. Aronson, MD
PathologyPathogenesis of arenavirus hemorrhagic fevers Assoc. Program Faculty
jaronson@utmb.eduTasnee Chonmaitree, MD
Pediatrics/Infectious DiseasesViral otitis media, respiratory viral infections, and inflammatory mediators Assoc. Program Faculty
tchonmai@utmb.eduAshok Kumar Chopra, Ph.D.
Microbiology & ImmunologyMicrobial toxins and their contribution in the overall
virulence of the organisms in causing human diseases. Modulation of inflammation and vaccine developmentAssoc. Program Faculty
achopra@utmb.edu
Robert A. Davey, PhD
Microbiology & Immunology
Mechanism of enveloped virus entry and early signaling events that trigger entry pathways. Envelope protein structure and function Assoc. Program Faculty
radavey@utmb.edu
Daniel H. Freeman, Jr., PhD
Preventive Medicine and Community HealthBiostatistics, clinical research design Assoc. Program Faculty
dfreeman@utmb.eduCharles F. Fulhorst, DVM, MPH, DrPH
Pathology (Center for Tropical Diseases)Ecology and pathogenesis of arthropod-borne and rodent-associated viruses Assoc. Program Faculty
cfulhors@utmb.eduNisha Garg, Ph.D.
Microbiology & Immunology(Center for Tropical Diseases)Cellular and molecular mechanisms of Trypanosoma cruzi infection, immunologic and therapeutic intervention Assoc. Program faculty
nigarg@utmb.edu
David G. Gorenstein, PhD
Cellular Physiology and Biophysics (Human Biological Chemistry and Genetics, Sealy Center for Structural Biology, Centenial Center in Toxicology, Biomedical Engineering)Structural biology and NMR spectroscopy of proteins and nucleic acids; Biochemistry, biophysical chemistry, computational biochemistry, enzymology and drug design Assoc. Program Faculty
david@nmr.utmb.eduNorbert K. Herzog, PhD
Pathology (Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Tropical Diseases)Cellular signal transduction; Host cell and bacterial signalling events in the pathogenesis of Shigella infection Assoc. Program Faculty
nherzog@utmb.eduRolf Konig, PhD
Microbiology and Immunology (Sealy Center for Molecular Sciences, NIEHS Center in Environmental Health Sciences)Relationship between structure and function in proteins of immunologic importance, cell biology of antigen recognition Assoc. Program Faculty
rokonig@utmb.eduBruce Luxon, Ph.D.
Department of Human Biological Chemistry & Genetics;
Director, UTMBBiomolecular NMR, Structural biology and computational chemistry, bioinformatics Assoc. Program Faculty
baluxon@utmb.eduPeter W. Mason, Ph.D
Department of PathologyWest Nile virus infection Assoc. Program
Faculty
pwmason@utmb.eduVladimir Motin, PhD
Microbiology & ImmunologyPathogenesis of Yersinia pestis Assoc. Program Faculty
vlmotin@utmb.eduJanak Patel, MD
Pediatrics/Infectious DiseasesRespiratory viral infections, HIV infection Assoc. Program Faculty
jpatel@utmb.eduBilly U. Philips, PhD
Preventive Medicine and Community HealthSocial epidemiology, human ecology Assoc. Program Faculty
bphilips@utmb.eduVsevolod L. Popov, PhD
PathologyUltrastructural analysis of intracellular organisms Assoc. Program Faculty
vpopov@utmb.eduAlfredo Torres, PhD
Microbiology & Immunology
Diarrheal disease, intracellular pathogens, bacterial genetics, mechanisms of adhesion Assoc. Program Faculty
altorres@utmb.edu
Stanley J. Watowich, PhD
Human Biological Chemistry and GeneticsX-ray crystallography, antivirals, virus structure Assoc. Program Faculty
watowich@bloch.utmb.eduDouglas M. Watts, Ph.D.
PathologyEcology and epidemiology of emerging viral infections, with emphasis on surveillance, diagnosis and control of arthropod-born viral diseases. Assoc. Program Faculty
dowatts@utmb.edu
Shu-Yuan Xiao, M.D., M.S.
Pathology, Internal Medicine WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical DiseasesPathogenesis of flaviviruses, including West Nile virus (encephalitis), yellow fever virus (hepatic necrosis), and hepatitis C (chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma). Assoc. Program Faculty
syxiao@utmb.edu
Postdoctoral trainees or trainee candidates of any training grant faculty or associate faculty member are eligible. Current trainees are likewise eligible to apply for continued funding. Trainees must be permanent resident non-citizen nationals or U.S. citizens. Women and members of minority groups are encouraged to apply. The NIH-supported stipend will depend upon the postgraduate year of the successful applicant, and the remainder of a UTMB stipend (if greater) must be paid from other sources and is the responsibility of the faculty mentor. The program also provides limited funds for training-related tuition and fees, travel (including field investigation), and supplies.
Those who wish to be considered for the training program should contact potential faculty sponsor(s) directly to initiate the nomination/application process in concert with the faculty member. Please see the faculty listing for e-mail addresses.
Applications:
Yearly appointments start on or after August 1 of each year. Applicants are considered throughout the year for positions in the program. The following materials are required for all trainee nominations:
- Application form
Microsoft Word '98
PDF format (Can be viewed and typed using Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0- A current Curriculum vitae for the trainee candidate.
- A letter of nomination from the UTMB sponsoring faculty member.
- A two page (maximum) statement (a) one page of which provides information equivalent to the specific aims section of an NIH investigator initiated (R01) grant application (brief rationale and specific aims); and (b) a description of the applicants research interests and/or experience in the area of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases (maximum 2 pages total). For current trainees applying for continued support, substitute a progress report and continuation research plan (maximum 5 pages, this would include any additional information that should be called to the attention of the committee that reviews candidates for support by this training program).
Please Note:
Please send applications to Ms. Kim Denton by the due date by one of the following methods: (1) mail to the Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Boulevard, Rt. 0435, Galveston, Texas 77555-0435; (2) e-mail to krdenton@utmb.edu; or (3) hand deliver to Room 4.210, Marvin Graves Building.Selection:
Trainees will be selected by the Admissions and Recruitment Committee (with broad department and expertise representation), and appointed each year by the Training Program Director. Applications will be evaluated using an NIH-style scale of 1-5 considering the following criteria:
- Academic credentials of the applicant.
- Demonstration of aptitude for, or commitment to, research.
- Relevance of the research that is of interest to the trainee to the field of emerging or
reemerging infectious diseases.Acceptance of the appointment to the training program entails signing a standard NIH "payback form" and agreement to participate in the required course on Responsible Conduct in Research (if not taken previously).
For further information, contact:
Ms. Kim Denton
Division of Infectious Diseases, UTMB
301 University Boulevard, Route 0435
Galveston, TX 77555-0435
Telephone: 409-747-1856
Fax: 409-772-6527
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