Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program Academic Year 2008-2009
For additional resources, please visit the UNC Hospitals Office of Graduate Medical Education website.
Note: UNC ID Fellowship Training Program is the only program in the US with an international training site approved by the ACGME. Fellows who have completed 18 months of their requirements can complete their remaining 6 months of an ID Continuity clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi under the guidance of Associate Professor Mina Hosseinipour.
Toggle Details
Eligibility
Applicants must have successfully completed training in internal medicine and be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Trainees funded by NIH Institutional Training Grants must be US citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents; applicants eligible for NIH funds are strongly favored and are encouraged to apply to this program.
Application for admission to the Clinical Infectious Diseases Fellowship requires completion of the ERAS application form (http://www.aamc.org/students/erasfellow/start.htm), which should be submitted with a curriculum vitae and a statement of the applicant's career goals and research interests. Special attention should be paid to the career track desired (see below) with emphasis on research opportunities available at UNC. Three letters of reference are also required. Personal interviews are critical and will be arranged after review of applications and a preliminary telephone conversation with some applicants. We abide by the uniform notification date arranged by the Infectious Disease Society of America. We choose applicants without regard to race, creed, sexual orientation or ethnicity.
Applications for predoctoral or postdoctoral basic training in any program in Infectious Diseases should be directed to appropriate faculty or training grant director.
You may also direct questions to the Fellowship Coordinator:
Kirsten Leysieffer, Fellowship Coordinator
UNC- Division of Infectious Diseases
CB# 7030, 130 Mason Farm Road, Suite 2163
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7030
Office: (919) 843-4377
Fax: (919) 966-6714
Toggle Details
Toggle Details
Toggle Details
Toggle Details
Toggle Details
Note: UNC ID Fellowship Training Program is the only program in the US with an international training site approved by the ACGME. Fellows who have completed 18 months of their requirements can complete their remaining 6 months of an ID Continuity clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi under the guidance of Associate Professor Mina Hosseinipour.
Second Year Fellow Jon Juliano attends the Gorgas Tropical Medicine Course in Peru
Application Procedure
Eligibility
Applicants must have successfully completed training in internal medicine and be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Trainees funded by NIH Institutional Training Grants must be US citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents; applicants eligible for NIH funds are strongly favored and are encouraged to apply to this program.
Application for admission to the Clinical Infectious Diseases Fellowship requires completion of the ERAS application form (http://www.aamc.org/students/erasfellow/start.htm), which should be submitted with a curriculum vitae and a statement of the applicant's career goals and research interests. Special attention should be paid to the career track desired (see below) with emphasis on research opportunities available at UNC. Three letters of reference are also required. Personal interviews are critical and will be arranged after review of applications and a preliminary telephone conversation with some applicants. We abide by the uniform notification date arranged by the Infectious Disease Society of America. We choose applicants without regard to race, creed, sexual orientation or ethnicity.
Applications for predoctoral or postdoctoral basic training in any program in Infectious Diseases should be directed to appropriate faculty or training grant director.
You may also direct questions to the Fellowship Coordinator:
Kirsten Leysieffer, Fellowship Coordinator
UNC- Division of Infectious Diseases
CB# 7030, 130 Mason Farm Road, Suite 2163
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7030
Office: (919) 843-4377
Fax: (919) 966-6714
Infectious Diseases Training Program Goals
The Infectious Diseases Training Program has three major goals:
• to provide educational opportunities for trainees in both ambulatory and in-patient care for patients with infectious diseases
• to provide an environment where trainees develop research skills and participate in critical research projects
• to provide training to other health professionals including medical students and internal medicine residents
The UNC ID Training Program is limited to physicians who have completed internal medicine training and is designed to prepare the trainee as an infectious diseases specialist. Priority is given to trainees interested in a career in academic research. The program is approved by the American Board of Internal Medicine to accept up to three new trainees per year. Each trainee is expected to complete American Board of Internal Medicine certification requirements in two years: twelve months of clinical training and twelve months of research experience (with four weeks of vacation each year). Trainees at UNC continue in the program to finish an advanced degree and/or undertake additional independent research for one to two additional years. Throughout training, each participant is required to attend two conferences per week, a weekly board review session and a monthly journal club.
Research training is directed by a training mentor with the permission of the Program Director and a Training Advisory Committee. All trainees interested are required to write an individual research award (NRSA, K23, K08) during their second year, since the process of securing such funding is critical to a successful career in academic medicine. Nearly all trainees are successful in these applications and have received independent support from organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, The American Cancer Society, The Howard Hughes Foundation, and The American Foundation for AIDS Research.
• to provide educational opportunities for trainees in both ambulatory and in-patient care for patients with infectious diseases
• to provide an environment where trainees develop research skills and participate in critical research projects
• to provide training to other health professionals including medical students and internal medicine residents
The UNC ID Training Program is limited to physicians who have completed internal medicine training and is designed to prepare the trainee as an infectious diseases specialist. Priority is given to trainees interested in a career in academic research. The program is approved by the American Board of Internal Medicine to accept up to three new trainees per year. Each trainee is expected to complete American Board of Internal Medicine certification requirements in two years: twelve months of clinical training and twelve months of research experience (with four weeks of vacation each year). Trainees at UNC continue in the program to finish an advanced degree and/or undertake additional independent research for one to two additional years. Throughout training, each participant is required to attend two conferences per week, a weekly board review session and a monthly journal club.
Research training is directed by a training mentor with the permission of the Program Director and a Training Advisory Committee. All trainees interested are required to write an individual research award (NRSA, K23, K08) during their second year, since the process of securing such funding is critical to a successful career in academic medicine. Nearly all trainees are successful in these applications and have received independent support from organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, The American Cancer Society, The Howard Hughes Foundation, and The American Foundation for AIDS Research.
Clinical Requirements and Specific Objectives
UNC Hospitals Inpatient Consult Rotation (eight months) : a) provide care to a broad spectrum of in-patients with infectious complications or fever of unknown
origin; b) develop skills providing antimicrobial agents, with special emphasis on pharmacology; c) gain consultative skill through “first-call” six days per week, interacting with all other hospital staff and outside referring physicians; d) develop skills in clinical and diagnostic microbiology through daily “plate rounds”; d) develop administrative and management skills through supervision of house-staff and students; e) develop educational skills through organization, presentation and discussion in clinical case conferences.
Durham County Health Department (one month) : a) gain familiarity with ID public health obligations, including civilian biodefense; b) gain confidence in management of STDs, including contact tracing, counseling and partner notification.
First Health (two months) : a) learn how to provide “first line” ID care; b) manage patients receiving out-patient antibiotics; c) receive focused training on infections in the elderly, with further emphasis on infected joint replacement. The rotation at First Health is limited to an attending and an ID PA and provides a unique and intense teaching environment. Five to fifteen new consults are seen two days each week, with follow-up care on the other days.
Bone Marrow Transplant/Leukemia/Lymphoma Service (three weeks) : Beginning in July 2007 we shall substitute 3 weeks of the rotation at First Health with a rotation as ID Consult supervised by an ID attending on that service: a) understand the diagnosis, time course, treatment, prevention and management of infectious complications of allograft recipients; b) understand the diagnosis, time course, treatment, prevention and management of infectious complications of patients with leukemia/lymphoma.
Infectious Diseases Clinic (1/2 day per week x 2 years) : a) manage continuous care of 50-100 HIV patients per year and become familiar with HAART; b) learn to administer all available vaccines; c) provide necessary care to consult patients requiring on-going follow-up; d) see new outpatient consults across all specialties; d) see new outpatient consults across all specialties. In exceptional cases for fellows who are working in a basic science lab, clinic will be one full day every other week for two years.
Clinical Microbiology Laboratory (14 days) : Fellows spend one or more days rotating through the various laboratory stations: bacteriology and anaerobic bacteriology, mycology and mycobacteriology, parasitology, virology and serology throughout the year. Fellows learn how to identify various infectious diseases pathogens and conduct resistance studies.
Hospital Epidemiology (two one-week courses): Fellows are invited to attend these courses offered by the NC Statewide Program in Infection Control and Epidemiology (SPICE) designed to train nurses and physicians in the basics of infection control. Alternatively they may take the on-line course www.iccourse.org, the cost of which will be paid by the program.
Durham County Health Department (one month) : a) gain familiarity with ID public health obligations, including civilian biodefense; b) gain confidence in management of STDs, including contact tracing, counseling and partner notification.
First Health (two months) : a) learn how to provide “first line” ID care; b) manage patients receiving out-patient antibiotics; c) receive focused training on infections in the elderly, with further emphasis on infected joint replacement. The rotation at First Health is limited to an attending and an ID PA and provides a unique and intense teaching environment. Five to fifteen new consults are seen two days each week, with follow-up care on the other days.
Bone Marrow Transplant/Leukemia/Lymphoma Service (three weeks) : Beginning in July 2007 we shall substitute 3 weeks of the rotation at First Health with a rotation as ID Consult supervised by an ID attending on that service: a) understand the diagnosis, time course, treatment, prevention and management of infectious complications of allograft recipients; b) understand the diagnosis, time course, treatment, prevention and management of infectious complications of patients with leukemia/lymphoma.
Infectious Diseases Clinic (1/2 day per week x 2 years) : a) manage continuous care of 50-100 HIV patients per year and become familiar with HAART; b) learn to administer all available vaccines; c) provide necessary care to consult patients requiring on-going follow-up; d) see new outpatient consults across all specialties; d) see new outpatient consults across all specialties. In exceptional cases for fellows who are working in a basic science lab, clinic will be one full day every other week for two years.
Clinical Microbiology Laboratory (14 days) : Fellows spend one or more days rotating through the various laboratory stations: bacteriology and anaerobic bacteriology, mycology and mycobacteriology, parasitology, virology and serology throughout the year. Fellows learn how to identify various infectious diseases pathogens and conduct resistance studies.
Hospital Epidemiology (two one-week courses): Fellows are invited to attend these courses offered by the NC Statewide Program in Infection Control and Epidemiology (SPICE) designed to train nurses and physicians in the basics of infection control. Alternatively they may take the on-line course www.iccourse.org, the cost of which will be paid by the program.
Training Support
The UNC ID trainees are supported from a variety of revenue streams, including clinical income, hospital contracts and individual research grants and contracts. The most significant source of funding, however, is NIH training grants, which are organized programs designed to help trainees develop as independent investigators.
• UNC-NIH Pathogenesis Training Program in Infectious Diseases (Director, M.S. Cohen, four postdoctoral positions): This training grant is now in its 27th year of funding. MD and PhD trainees are guided by a mentor in the broad fields of microbial pathogenesis and epidemiology. This program provides research training in molecular and epidemiological processes critical to microbial and viral pathogenesis.
• UNC-NIH AIDS and STD Training Program (Director, P.F. Sparling, four predoctoral positions, three postdoctoral positions): This program provides trainees with research opportunities in the broad area of AIDS and STDs. Training includes basic and epidemiologic research. This training grant is in its 28th year of funding. MD and PhD trainees and predoctoral students interested in STD research are guided by a mentor.
• UNC-NIH Immunology Training Program (Director, Jeffery Frelinger, two predoctoral positions, two postdoctoral positions): This program focuses on training in molecular immunology. The immunology training grant provides support to pre and postdoctoral fellows interested in basic research in host defenses.
• UNC-NIH Virology Training Program (Director, Ron Swanstrom, four predoctoral positions): This program focuses on training in molecular virology.
• NIH Fogarty Training Center (Director, Ada Adimora, six positions): This program is designed to provide basic and epidemiological research skills in STD/HIV prevention for selected scholars from the People’s Republic of China, Cameroon and Malawi. This program supports in-country research and training with UNC faculty in Chapel Hill.
• ID-Pharmacy Partnership (Director, M.S. Cohen, Chair Anti-Infectives Committee, David Weber, one position): Effective utilization of antimicrobial therapy is critical to the health of UNC Hospitals. Accordingly, the Pharmacy Program supports an infectious diseases fellow interested in antimicrobial therapy and research. This program collaborates with Hospital Epidemiology (Infection Control).
• Clinical Research Curriculum (NIH HL04127-01): UNC was one of the initial recipients of the NIH K30 Clinical Research Curriculum award. The Clinical Research Curriculum provides an in-depth, two-year training program for a group of 8-10 trainees, each of whom is committed to a career as a clinical investigator. A major goal for each trainee is to develop appropriate grant funding such as a K23 or, in some cases, an R01. The clinical research methods include patient-oriented, epidemiologic- and population-based and outcomes-oriented health services.
• UNC-NIH Pathogenesis Training Program in Infectious Diseases (Director, M.S. Cohen, four postdoctoral positions): This training grant is now in its 27th year of funding. MD and PhD trainees are guided by a mentor in the broad fields of microbial pathogenesis and epidemiology. This program provides research training in molecular and epidemiological processes critical to microbial and viral pathogenesis.
• UNC-NIH AIDS and STD Training Program (Director, P.F. Sparling, four predoctoral positions, three postdoctoral positions): This program provides trainees with research opportunities in the broad area of AIDS and STDs. Training includes basic and epidemiologic research. This training grant is in its 28th year of funding. MD and PhD trainees and predoctoral students interested in STD research are guided by a mentor.
• UNC-NIH Immunology Training Program (Director, Jeffery Frelinger, two predoctoral positions, two postdoctoral positions): This program focuses on training in molecular immunology. The immunology training grant provides support to pre and postdoctoral fellows interested in basic research in host defenses.
• UNC-NIH Virology Training Program (Director, Ron Swanstrom, four predoctoral positions): This program focuses on training in molecular virology.
• NIH Fogarty Training Center (Director, Ada Adimora, six positions): This program is designed to provide basic and epidemiological research skills in STD/HIV prevention for selected scholars from the People’s Republic of China, Cameroon and Malawi. This program supports in-country research and training with UNC faculty in Chapel Hill.
• ID-Pharmacy Partnership (Director, M.S. Cohen, Chair Anti-Infectives Committee, David Weber, one position): Effective utilization of antimicrobial therapy is critical to the health of UNC Hospitals. Accordingly, the Pharmacy Program supports an infectious diseases fellow interested in antimicrobial therapy and research. This program collaborates with Hospital Epidemiology (Infection Control).
• Clinical Research Curriculum (NIH HL04127-01): UNC was one of the initial recipients of the NIH K30 Clinical Research Curriculum award. The Clinical Research Curriculum provides an in-depth, two-year training program for a group of 8-10 trainees, each of whom is committed to a career as a clinical investigator. A major goal for each trainee is to develop appropriate grant funding such as a K23 or, in some cases, an R01. The clinical research methods include patient-oriented, epidemiologic- and population-based and outcomes-oriented health services.
Courses and Conferences
Formal education is an important part of the Infectious Diseases Fellowship program. Such education includes faculty-led and participatory conferences, seminars and a variety of courses.
Courses: All postdoctoral fellows are required to participate in two courses when they arrive in July: Introduction to Clinical Research Methods and Responsible Conduct in Research. The courses are sponsored by the General Clinical Research Center under the direction of Dr. David Weber (Epidemiology, Medicine, Pediatrics) and the UNC Institutional Review Board (IRB). Led by faculty drawn from all of the health sciences schools, Introduction to Clinical Research Methods consists of five three-and-a-half hour lectures and seminars. In the course, students will become acquainted with basic concepts in research, including study design (case-control, cohort, randomized clinical trials), use of diagnostic tests, basic statistics, advanced concepts (meta-analysis, questionnaire design, bias and confounding), accessing UNC databases, applying for an NIH grant, hypothesis testing and designing a research question. Study materials include reprints of a series of relevant articles and the textbook Designing Clinical Research, 2nd Edition (Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins, 2001).
Responsible Conduct of Research is designed to meet and exceed all NIH requirements for teaching scientific ethics and covers the following topics: maintaining data properly, fraud and plagiarism, ethical use of humans and animals in research, monitoring clinical trials, RAC requirements, proper protocol for using biological/chemical agents that could be used for terrorism, handling complaints of misconduct, conflicts of interest, protecting patenting rights, and conducting HIPAA-compliant research. Students will watch a film on the Tuskegee experiment in conjunction with a discussion of the history and evolution of ethical principles, learn about the IRB process, the use of normal research subjects, prisoners as research subjects and children as research subjects, data and safety monitoring in clinical trials, and community based research. New trainees are also required to attend instruction sessions led by the chairpersons of the university's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and IRB. Federal guidelines and the obligations of investigators are reviewed in detail. All trainees must pass the tests required for NIH supported research, and these results are kept on file in the UNC Office of Scientific Research.
Conferences: Weekly conferences in the Department of Medicine include a Clinical Pathology Conference and Grand Rounds (Thursdays, 12:00PM). Infectious Diseases conferences include: the Case Management Conference (Wednesdays, 8:30 AM), the Center for Infectious Diseases Conference (Fridays, 8:30 AM) and the Board Review Course/Curriculum for ID Fellows directed by Dr. Kristine Patterson (Fridays, 9:30 AM). The Case Management Conference is a structured discussion of cases seen by the consult service and on the ID ward and is presented as an ‘unknown’ that is discussed first by a fellow, then by a faculty member. The conference is attended by all the clinicians in the ID Division. The Center for Infectious Diseases holds a weekly conference for the entire community. This conference has become an important interdisciplinary venue and a place to host international visitors. It is attended by Center members from many departments and disciplines.
Courses: All postdoctoral fellows are required to participate in two courses when they arrive in July: Introduction to Clinical Research Methods and Responsible Conduct in Research. The courses are sponsored by the General Clinical Research Center under the direction of Dr. David Weber (Epidemiology, Medicine, Pediatrics) and the UNC Institutional Review Board (IRB). Led by faculty drawn from all of the health sciences schools, Introduction to Clinical Research Methods consists of five three-and-a-half hour lectures and seminars. In the course, students will become acquainted with basic concepts in research, including study design (case-control, cohort, randomized clinical trials), use of diagnostic tests, basic statistics, advanced concepts (meta-analysis, questionnaire design, bias and confounding), accessing UNC databases, applying for an NIH grant, hypothesis testing and designing a research question. Study materials include reprints of a series of relevant articles and the textbook Designing Clinical Research, 2nd Edition (Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins, 2001).
Responsible Conduct of Research is designed to meet and exceed all NIH requirements for teaching scientific ethics and covers the following topics: maintaining data properly, fraud and plagiarism, ethical use of humans and animals in research, monitoring clinical trials, RAC requirements, proper protocol for using biological/chemical agents that could be used for terrorism, handling complaints of misconduct, conflicts of interest, protecting patenting rights, and conducting HIPAA-compliant research. Students will watch a film on the Tuskegee experiment in conjunction with a discussion of the history and evolution of ethical principles, learn about the IRB process, the use of normal research subjects, prisoners as research subjects and children as research subjects, data and safety monitoring in clinical trials, and community based research. New trainees are also required to attend instruction sessions led by the chairpersons of the university's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and IRB. Federal guidelines and the obligations of investigators are reviewed in detail. All trainees must pass the tests required for NIH supported research, and these results are kept on file in the UNC Office of Scientific Research.
Conferences: Weekly conferences in the Department of Medicine include a Clinical Pathology Conference and Grand Rounds (Thursdays, 12:00PM). Infectious Diseases conferences include: the Case Management Conference (Wednesdays, 8:30 AM), the Center for Infectious Diseases Conference (Fridays, 8:30 AM) and the Board Review Course/Curriculum for ID Fellows directed by Dr. Kristine Patterson (Fridays, 9:30 AM). The Case Management Conference is a structured discussion of cases seen by the consult service and on the ID ward and is presented as an ‘unknown’ that is discussed first by a fellow, then by a faculty member. The conference is attended by all the clinicians in the ID Division. The Center for Infectious Diseases holds a weekly conference for the entire community. This conference has become an important interdisciplinary venue and a place to host international visitors. It is attended by Center members from many departments and disciplines.
Training Tracks
The UNC ID Fellowship Program is designed to train postdoctoral fellows sufficiently that they can succeed as independent investigators at academic medical centers. Although the current requirements for Board Certification entail one year of clinical training and one year of research training, it has been our experience that this is not sufficient enough research experience for a successful career. At UNC fellows choose a career track best suited to their long-range goals and work directly with one or more faculty mentors. In addition, courses in grant writing and career development given by the School of Medicine are available for trainees. Some possible tracks:
• Pathogenesis of Infectious Diseases: Trainees choose a research mentor from within the Infectious Diseases Division or from the extended faculty (see below) and work under his/her direction to receive training in basic scientific research. The available labs focus on a diverse number of agents including bacteria, viruses, parasites and immunology. Recent trainees have worked in the laboratories of Steve Meshnick on malaria, David Margolis on HIV, Jenny Ting on immunology, Ron Swanstrom on HIV, and Mark Heise on a SARS vaccine.
• Epidemiology and Public Health: Many fellows wish to pursue a career in public health. UNC has the highest-rated PUBLIC school of public health in the United States and offers an MPH in several disciplines, including epidemiology. The MPH degree may be obtained with one or two years of course work and a thesis. This curriculum provides rigorous training for clinical research. The School of Public Health has an Infectious Diseases Program in the Epidemiology Division (Director, Steven Meshnick) with joint faculty in the School of Medicine Infectious Diseases Division. Fellows who choose this path can also receive training in hospital epidemiology (Director, William Rutala) and may choose to become board eligible in preventive medicine. Recent fellows have worked with Annelies van Rie on tuberculosis, Carol Golin on HIV secondary prevention and adherence, and Ada Adimora on sexual network patterns and HIV transmission.
• Masters Degree in Clinical Science: A new degree program from the Department of Epidemiology will offer training geared to health professionals committed to clinical research and clinical trials (Director, William Miller).
• Clinical Research: UNC faculty and trainees are involved in both domestic and international clinical research. Trainees can participate in a formal NIH-supported K30 Program in Clinical Research (Director, David Ransohoff). Revent fellows have worked with Becky White, Joseph Eron, and David Wohl on HIV clinical drug trials, acute HIV infection, and studies on the role of prisoners in transmission.
• International STD/HIV Research: Selected trainees may chose to undertake research work in Malawi at the UNC-Project or UNC research sites in other countries after they complete their required clinical work in Chapel Hill. Recent fellows have worked with Myron Cohen and Irving Hoffman on HIV and STDs and Charles van der Horst on prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV through breastmilk.
• Pathogenesis of Infectious Diseases: Trainees choose a research mentor from within the Infectious Diseases Division or from the extended faculty (see below) and work under his/her direction to receive training in basic scientific research. The available labs focus on a diverse number of agents including bacteria, viruses, parasites and immunology. Recent trainees have worked in the laboratories of Steve Meshnick on malaria, David Margolis on HIV, Jenny Ting on immunology, Ron Swanstrom on HIV, and Mark Heise on a SARS vaccine.
• Epidemiology and Public Health: Many fellows wish to pursue a career in public health. UNC has the highest-rated PUBLIC school of public health in the United States and offers an MPH in several disciplines, including epidemiology. The MPH degree may be obtained with one or two years of course work and a thesis. This curriculum provides rigorous training for clinical research. The School of Public Health has an Infectious Diseases Program in the Epidemiology Division (Director, Steven Meshnick) with joint faculty in the School of Medicine Infectious Diseases Division. Fellows who choose this path can also receive training in hospital epidemiology (Director, William Rutala) and may choose to become board eligible in preventive medicine. Recent fellows have worked with Annelies van Rie on tuberculosis, Carol Golin on HIV secondary prevention and adherence, and Ada Adimora on sexual network patterns and HIV transmission.
• Masters Degree in Clinical Science: A new degree program from the Department of Epidemiology will offer training geared to health professionals committed to clinical research and clinical trials (Director, William Miller).
• Clinical Research: UNC faculty and trainees are involved in both domestic and international clinical research. Trainees can participate in a formal NIH-supported K30 Program in Clinical Research (Director, David Ransohoff). Revent fellows have worked with Becky White, Joseph Eron, and David Wohl on HIV clinical drug trials, acute HIV infection, and studies on the role of prisoners in transmission.
• International STD/HIV Research: Selected trainees may chose to undertake research work in Malawi at the UNC-Project or UNC research sites in other countries after they complete their required clinical work in Chapel Hill. Recent fellows have worked with Myron Cohen and Irving Hoffman on HIV and STDs and Charles van der Horst on prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV through breastmilk.
• Tropical Diseases Research: With a large grant from the William and Melinda Gates Foundation, Richard Tidwell PhD has established a consortium of institutions around the globe based in the UNC Center for Translational Research. Current research focuses on drug development, clinical drug trials and disease burden epidemiology for malaria, leishmaniasis and trypanosomiasis. Recent fellows have worked with Dr. Meshnick on malaria and trypanosomiasis.
• Emerging Infections and Biodefense Research: Fred Sparling is Director of the Southeast Center of Excellence for Emerging Infections and Biodefense (www.serceb.org). Mentors include those who work on laboratory pathogenesis including Jenny Ting, Mark Heise, Robert Johnston, Miriam Braunstein, and Aravinda deSilva and those working in Epidemiology and Public Health William Miller and Annelies Van Rie. This program also has a K30 program for clinical investigators interested as long as they are not focused on HIV but rather on emergin ID or international ID defined as influenze, dengue, SARS, or possible Bioterrorism and Emerging Infectious agents, categories A-C. A current fellow is working with Mark Heise on a colloborative effort between the Heise lab, Johnston lab and Baric lab on a vaccine for SARS.
• Clinical Microbiology: The Microbiology Laboratory at UNC Hospitals is accredited to provide formal training to potential laboratory directors through a structured two-year program.