Project Summary Infectious diseases continue to be a major cause of human suffering and mortality. While much research and training has focused on studying infectious disease at a single scale (e.g. within hosts or at the population level), a major challenge in the control of infectious diseases is that they routinely operate across scales. Specifically, the interactions between host immune molecules and pathogens determine their transmission at the population level, which in turn determines the spread of diseases across regions; in addition, a major feature of emerging infectious diseases is that they infect a wide variety of non-human hosts, complicating their control. Consequently, in order to effectively understand and control infectious diseases, researchers require integrated training in interdisciplinary, cross-scale approaches that span the full range of biological organization, from molecules to ecosystems. The Infectious Diseases Across Scales Training Program (IDASTP) at Emory University provides such inter-disciplinary training. This program started in 2019, and partners with 31 faculty to train 6 trainees and 4 affiliates each year. Trainees obtain two years of T32 stipend support, as well as research and travel funds. Affiliates receive research and travel funds, provided through institutional support. Students are recruited from a total of ~34 training-eligible students in six graduate programs with exceptional strengths in immunology, microbiology, population biology, epidemiology, biostatistics, and public health. IDASTP trainees and affiliates receive integrated training in cross-scale infectious disease research through interdisciplinary curricula, an Infectious Diseases Across Scales Seminar, and a Career Development Seminar. Seminars focus on the fundamentals of cross-scale interactions, control applications and career development, providing workshops and exposing students to cross-disciplinary career opportunities in academic and non-academic settings. Further training is provided through an Annual Retreat with Science Communication Workshop and the Virulent Vortex podcast, in which trainees, faculty and program alumni discuss their research and career paths. Further integration of student training across scales is ensured by the formation of dissertation committees that include faculty with expertise in infectious disease research at different scales. The overall objective is to train competitive scientists who use interdisciplinary and cross-scale approaches to better study and control infectious disease. Graduates from this program acquire: broad knowledge of cross-scale disease dynamics; in-depth knowledge of their field of research; the ability to effectively develop research projects, grant proposals, presentations and publications; an appreciation of the career trajectories available to infectious disease doctorates; and the ability to communicate their research to a broad audience. This program at Emory University at...