# Infectious Diseases Across Scales Training Program

> **NIH NIH T32** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $324,774

## Abstract

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...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10934769
- **Project number:** 2T32AI138952-06
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jacobus de Roode
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $324,774
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2019-09-01 → 2029-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10934769

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10934769, Infectious Diseases Across Scales Training Program (2T32AI138952-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10934769. Licensed CC0.

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