Biology of Vector-borne Diseases six-day training course
Mission
Create a knowledge network for a diverse community of practitioners that persists, grows and transforms science, and interventions for plant, animal and human vector-borne diseases.
Vision
Stimulate and enhance innovative research, collaborations, teaching, and outreach in plant, animal and human vector-borne diseases through a cutting-edge and interactive annual course delivered by a core community of leading scientists.
Brief description of the course
The Center for Health in the Human Ecosystem hosts the annual Biology of Vector-borne Diseases six-day course. This course provides accessible, condensed training and "knowledge networking" for advanced graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, new faculty and current professionals to ensure competency in basic biology, cutting edge technology and tools, expertise and resources for U.S. and global vector-borne diseases of plants, animals and humans. We seek to train the next generation of scientists and help working professionals to more effectively address current and emerging threats with new tools and a strong network of collaborators and mentors.
The course is both lecture- and lab-based, delivered by internationally recognized experts, with integrated case studies of emerging vector-borne pathogens to highlight parallels and key distinctions in biology and technology across plant, animal and human vector-borne diseases. This course sets an example of new vision, through leadership of the Center for Health in the Human Ecosystem, to create an enduring community of participants and instructors to expand the impact and sustainability of these approaches.
The first annual Biology of Vector-borne Diseases course is scheduled for Sunday through Friday, June 24-29, 2018. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance and invited to register for the course in February 2018.
Registration for the course ($1,000) includes all course materials, housing, food and social activities.
Course learning objectives:
- Gaining a common vocabulary across plant, animal and human vector-borne diseases to enable effective communication and transfer of knowledge
- Understanding the common biology and drivers — and also key distinctions — across plant, animal and human vector-borne diseases
- Defining what makes a vector and the process of implicating a vector
- Sharing technology and tools across vector-borne diseases to improve the pipeline of science to translation
Course themes include:
- Shared and distinct components of vector-borne disease cycles
- Common vocabulary of pathogen acquisition, infection and modes of transmission
- Host and pathogen biology and heterogeneity
- Virulence and resistance mechanisms
- Epidemiology and disease ecology
- Anthropogenic disturbances (climate change, climate events, conservation issues, pollution and environmental toxicology)
- Host-pathogen interactions in complex and changing ecosystems
- Global change, re-emergence and emergence of pathogens
- BEI Resources for Infectious Diseases Research
- Coursera — Bioinformatics
- Data visualization of high throughput sequence data
- DEXi — Multi-Attribute Decision Making, download English version
- Dissecting within-host viral population diversity of foot-and-mouth disease virus by using next-generation genome sequencing
- National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- EdX — Bioinformatics
- Galaxy web non-command line analysis
- JournalMap — Geographic mapping tool
- Matters of size — Genetic bottlenecks in virus infection and their potential impact on evolution
- Summer Institute in Statistics and Modeling in Infectious Diseases
- Software carpentry workshops
- Symposium Special Issue 2018 Roadmap to Gene Drives
Course instructors
- Matthew Baylis — University of Liverpool, UK
- Sonja Best — NIH Rocky Mountain Laboratory
- Marek Borowiec — University of Idaho
- Jesse Brunner — Washington State University
- Gitta Coaker — UC Davis
- Sanford Eigenbrode — University of Idaho
- Janet Foley — UC Davis
- Bruce Godfrey — University of Idaho
- Scott Harper — Washington State University
- Audrey Harris — University of Idaho
- Amanda Hodson — UC Davis
- Alex Karasev — University of Idaho
- Luc LeBlanc — University of Idaho
- Ed Lewis — University of Idaho
- Eric Lofgren — Washington State University
- Shirley Luckhart — University of Idaho
- Marshall Ma — University of Idaho
- Neil McRoberts — UC Davis
- Raul Medina — Texas A&M
- Dan New — University of Idaho
- Susan Noh — USDA-ARS
- Cassandra Olds — University of Idaho
- Hanu Pappu — Washington State University
- Ann Powers — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins
- Mike Riehle — University of Arizona
- Carrie Roever — University of Idaho
- Ron Rosenberg — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Brenda Schroeder — University of Idaho
- Glen Scoles — USDA ADRU
- Glen Stevens — University of Idaho
- Mike Strand — University of Georgia
- Matthew Thomas — Penn State University
- Massaro Ueti — USDA ADRU
- Diane Ullman — UC Davis
- Viveka Vadyvaloo — Washington State University