Integrated Research Training on Vector Borne Diseases in Pakistan: Vector Biology, Virology and Disease Epidemiology. - Project Summary/Abstract Vector Borne Diseases (VBD) are emerging threats to health globally. One of the biggest challenges of VBDs is the complexity of interconnectedness among humans, animals, vectors, and their shared environments. There is increasing evidence of the impact of climate change on prevalence of VBDs globally. Sustainable VBD control and prevention requires collaborative research and intervention implementation using a One Health framework. Lack of a holistic academic platform for integrated interdisciplinary research is one of the major impediments in the advancement of innovative methods in VBD control. In this D43 Training Application to the Fogarty International Center, the Aga Khan University (AKU)- Department of Pathology & Lab Medicine, in partnership with University of Washington (UW) Departments of Medicine and Global Health, and in collaboration with the national universities in Pakistan, will develop an Integrated Interdisciplinary VBD Research Training Program in which researchers will work under close supervision of a Transdisciplinary Research Advisory Committee that will ensure learning by integration of multidisciplinary methods and concepts, and help researchers develop integrated research strategies. The Training Program Faculty that forms this Committee are experienced mentors with local and international trainees, have a strong history of 312 peer-reviewed publications with international mentees and a mean of ~$3.5M USD in available research support. This program will foster the use of metagenomic, bioinformatics, mathematical modelling, implementation science skills and advanced immunologic techniques to examine relationships between pathogens, vectors, hosts, and their environments. It will develop a platform for frontline researchers in VBD for transdisciplinary learning through discussions forums, sharing best practices and case studies. Specific aims of this program are: 1) Establish high-impact interdisciplinary research on VBD (PhD Program), guided by the transdisciplinary research advisory committee on VBD at AKU, 2) introduce new skills: a) Metagenomics., b) Mathematical Modelling, and, c) Implementation Science, through Master’s level degree training for VBD surveillance and policy implementation in Pakistan, 3) develop a transdisciplinary VBD Professionals’ Learning Network in Pakistan: that will provide short term training (certification Program) to frontline researchers encountering VBD across disciplines. This will enhance their diagnostic, management, and research skills and engage these researchers from different disciplines to meet on a regular basis through an integrated seminar series. Pakistan is a crossroad for West and Central Asia, the Middle East, notably a region of high risk for VBD emergence, yet no VBD research training is available in these regions, Thus, the capacity building gained by establishing this Training Program will benefit the worldwide effort to understand, detect, and respond to emerging VBD.
