# Global TravEpiNet (GTEN): U.S. Travelers? Health Research, Surveillance, Communication and Outreach Network

> **NIH ALLCDC U01** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2021 · $1,498,119

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
International travel may not only increase the risk of infection for an individual traveler, but may
also contribute to the global spread of infections. A better understanding of this
epidemiologically important population could lead to improved interventions (1) to promote the
health of international travelers, and (2) to diminish the spread of infections within home
communities. This application focuses on proposed efforts for the Global Travelers’
Epidemiology Network (Global TravEpiNet; GTEN). GTEN’s mission is to lessen illness among
high-risk international travelers, including VFR travelers, and to reduce the likelihood of disease
importation into the United States. GTEN is comprised of three components: (1) a U.S. national
consortium of clinical sites that collects real-time data on pre-travel health care provided across
the United States (since inception, over 150,000 records have been collected); (2) a public
health outreach program (“Heading Home Healthy”; www.headinghomehealthy.org) that
includes web-tools and educational materials in multiple languages for high risk and VFR
travelers, as well as a clinical guidance tool for non-expert providers who deliver the majority of
pre-travel care to such travelers -- these efforts involve established collaborations with
Departments of Public Health and colleagues in New York City and Minneapolis/St. Paul; and
(3) pre- and post-travel biosample collection. We propose to expand upon the existing
infrastructure developed by GTEN in order to (1) answer fundamental questions relating to the
health care of U.S. residents who travel internationally, (2) improve the pre-travel health care
provided to vulnerable U.S. populations at highest risk of travel-related illness, and (3)
quantitatively assess travel-related illnesses and the impact of interventions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10318495
- **Project number:** 1U01CK000633-01
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** REGINA C LAROCQUE
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $1,498,119
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-30 → 2026-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10318495

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10318495, Global TravEpiNet (GTEN): U.S. Travelers? Health Research, Surveillance, Communication and Outreach Network (1U01CK000633-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10318495. Licensed CC0.

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