# The Graduate Program in Tropical Infectious Diseases (GPiTID)

> **NIH NIH T32** · HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH · 2021 · $193,428

## Abstract

This proposal is the renewal of a training initiative for predoctoral training in Tropical Infectious
Diseases, now called The Graduate Program in Tropical Infectious Diseases (GPiTID) and
requests funding for six trainees for five years. The goal of this training grant is two-fold: to train
the next generation of global health leaders and to train students to advance scientific
achievements toward the control of infectious diseases. The GPiTID is distinct in many aspects
– the training is embedded in a school of public health but focuses on the fundamental scientific
discovery using cutting edge approaches of genomics, cell biology, immunology, population
biology and gene editing coupled with the epidemiology of diseases in their natural setting to
address major infections both that pose a threat to public health both in the US and abroad.
There is a focus on fundamental scientific training but in the context of the diseases as holistic
problems and with an emphasis on fundamental discoveries that could lead to new interventions
including drug, vaccine and insecticide development. The Principal Investigators of the program
are Professor Dyann Wirth, Richard Pearson Strong Professor, Department of Immunology and
Infectious Diseases, Senior Associate Member at the Broad Institute, and Faculty Chair of the
Harvard Integrated Life Sciences (HILS) Ph.D. Program, Professor Phyllis Kanki of the
Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public
Health and Professor Eric Rubin, the Irene Heinz Given Professor and Chair, Department of
Immunology and Infectious Diseases. The training program will be housed in the Department of
Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health,
centrally located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, MA. Trainees have the opportunity to
interact with students from diverse professional and personal backgrounds including a large
number of international students from countries where infectious diseases remain a major
health threat, leading to over 50% of overall early childhood morality in many countries and
devastating young adult populations in their most productive years. The trainees in GPiTID
attend introductory classes in epidemiology, biostatistics and the history of public health with
students from all HSPH academic programs including the professional degrees of MPH and
DrPH. The GPiTID also offers students opportunities at the interface of laboratory science and
translational applications in the form of two special programs, one an opportunity to conduct part
of their thesis work in a disease endemic setting and a second to train in the Clinical-Laboratory
Partnership in Infectious Disease (CLP-ID) program. Appointments will be in 1-year intervals.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10173617
- **Project number:** 5T32AI049928-18
- **Recipient organization:** HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** Phyllis J. Kanki
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $193,428
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2001-07-01 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10173617

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10173617, The Graduate Program in Tropical Infectious Diseases (GPiTID) (5T32AI049928-18). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10173617. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*