Interdisciplinary nexgen TB research advancement center (in-trac) - texas biomed in-trac overall abstract the interdisciplinary nexgen TB research advancement center (in-trac) at texas biomedical…

Interdisciplinary nexgen TB research advancement center (in-trac) - texas biomed in-trac overall abstract the interdisciplinary nexgen TB research advancement center (in-trac) at texas biomedical research institute (texas biomed) will attract the next generation of diverse researchers to the tuberculosis (TB) research field, and develop them into independent researchers with multi-disciplinary skills and real-world experience of clinical TB. The product of in-trac will be researchers that choose to work on some of the most challenging and relevant translational problems in TB, and that work across academic disciplines and within a framework of highly collaborative research. This will be achieved through 6 interrelated cores. Administrative core: the central hub of in-trac management and oversight, with responsibility for administrative and scientific leadership; coordinating communication between cores, researchers and NIH/niaid program staff and providing an organizational structure to optimize multidisciplinary collaborations and interactions between the cores and among a diverse cohort of in-trac participants. Development core: oversight of all career development programming and courses, tailoring the research and clinical experiences, both intern and externships, to each individual in-trac participant, and management of the in-trac pilot grant program. Biosafety & biocontainment core: extending the required biosafety training to a personalized curriculum including theoretical and hands-on biocontainment training, understanding the mechanical and regulatory requirements of a BSL3/ABSL3, coaching on how to develop biosafety protocols, and working through risk assessments from the perspective of a biosafety officer. Research imaging core: providing theoretical and hands-on training from single cell imaging (confocal microscopy, cytometry, live cell imaging, single cell rnaseq) through to whole body imaging in mice (ivis) and non-human primates (NHP) (pet/CT) within large, fully outfitted BSL3/ABSL3 facilities. Animal model core: implementing a training program to introduce all in-trac participants to the regulatory requirements for working with rodents and nhps, how to develop a robust experimental protocol, how to write an iacuc protocol, and hands-on animal handling and experimental procedures. Clinical research & patient care core: introducing in-trac participants to TB patient care at the only free-standing TB hospital in the US (texas center of infectious diseases) that manages some of the most challenging cases of TB nationally. Partnering with this will be a clinical research experience at the US- mexico border, to experience TB studies in under-served and under-resourced communities.