# Chemical Biology of Infectious Diseases (CBID) Training Program

> **NIH NIH T32** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $375,452

## Abstract

SUMMARY
The rapidly increasing number of antibacterial-resistant pathogens and the emergence of new infectious threats
underscore the desperate need for novel antimicrobial therapeutics at a time when the pharmaceutical industry
has largely abandoned this area of research and development. Academic research institutions have begun to
meet this need, but success will require scientists who are trained to apply the techniques of chemical biology to
the study of microbial pathogenesis. The Chemical Biology of Infectious Diseases (CBID) Training Program
exploits Vanderbilt’s strengths in chemical biology and microbiology and prepares scientists for the challenges
of antimicrobial target identification and drug discovery. Twenty-eight faculty preceptors from seven departments
in both Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center serve as mentors for the Program. Four
predoctoral students will be selected each year to receive two years of support during their second and third year
of study in the five-year program. Highlights of the training program include formal coursework in both microbial
pathogenesis and chemical biology, elective courses for specialized training, a “mini-sabbatical” research
opportunity in a collaborator’s laboratory, research and professional development workshops, an interactive
seminar series in chemical biology, an annual research symposium in chemical biology, participation in the
infectious disease case conference and antibiotic stewardship program, an in-depth laboratory research
experience, and an external internship at a major pharmaceutical company. Research projects emphasize a
multi-disciplinary approach that applies chemical biology to the study of microbiology, and students are advised
by at least two CBID preceptors. As a result, students who complete the CBID Training Program are well-
grounded in a core discipline and sufficiently well-trained in complementary fields to allow them to work effectively
in an interdisciplinary environment.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9854416
- **Project number:** 2T32AI112541-06
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Eric P Skaar
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $375,452
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2015-06-10 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9854416

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9854416, Chemical Biology of Infectious Diseases (CBID) Training Program (2T32AI112541-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9854416. Licensed CC0.

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