Infectious Diseases Fellowship - Affiliated Research

The Tulane National Primate Research Center is involved in a variety of important multidisciplinary projects focusing on areas of biomedical research with high priority concerns for human health. This section, which is intended for the interested researcher, scientist or investigator, provides information on those research programs and projects.

The functions of each research program and project are discussed within the parameters of each division’s research, research resources and educational and training opportunities. Many of the diseases we investigate at the TNPRC fall within the area of research of multiple divisions.

The Department of Microbiology and Immunology has active research programs encompassing many areas of current research interest worldwide. Specific faculty interests and research programs range from studies of genetics of bacteria and modifications of bacterial and viral genomes, mechanisms of bacterial and viral pathogenesis, mechanisms of resistance to microbial infections, and development of vaccines and therapeutics. The collective expertise of the faculty is broad and provides students with the opportunity to learn from those who are working at the advancing edge of their fields. The research programs of the faculty are supported by grants from Federal sources such as the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, private foundations and industrial sources.

Our departmental Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences emphasizes interdisciplinary research into the prevention of infectious diseases. The goals of our graduate program are (1) to provide a broad and sound education in the molecular biology and genetics of infectious disease and immunology and (2) to provide rigorous research training in an environment dedicated to advancing biomedical science. The students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty in Microbiology & Immunology form a cohesive group with its own identity, while taking full advantage of the tremendous breadth of expertise and knowledge contained within other departments and programs.

We invite you to join us on our journey to change the world.

For faculty and their research interests, please go to:

https://medicine.tulane.edu/departments/microbiology-immunology/faculty

Please also see:

The McLachlan Lab

The Steele Lab

The Department of Tropical Medicine (TRMD) has a long and prestigious history as one of the oldest institutions studying, preventing and managing topical diseases.  A leader in the field, TRMD has a strong international reputation for research and education in vector-borne and other tropical infectious diseases. TRMD addresses tropical diseases from the clinical, laboratory and epidemiological approaches.

The degree programs educate students in field work, epidemiology and evidence-based prevention and control, along with state-of-the-art laboratory studies of tropical diseases. Graduates are prepared to work in disease control programs, diagnostic parasitology labs, and academic and research laboratories. 

Department faculty have extensive expertise in areas such as mosquito biology and biochemistry, medical and biochemical entomology, tropical virology, and population-based prevention and evaluation. They conduct basic and applied research on vector-borne infectious diseases like Chagas, Dengue fever, West Nile virus, Lassa fever, and Ebola virus.

Mission

The Department of Tropical Medicine conducts basic and applied research in the fields of tropical medicine, parasitology and applied population-based malaria evaluation research and educates students to address the clinical, laboratory and evidence-based approaches to prevent and control tropical diseases. 

Ronald Blanton, MD, MS
Chair
William G. Vincent Professor of Tropical Medicine

Research Areas

The research programs of the department focus on malaria, medical entomology and Chagas disease.  Major funders are National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates, USAID and the Department of Defense. 

Malaria
The malaria research program seeks to understand the basic biological mechanisms of malaria transmission to guide development and evaluation of vaccines and therapies. The approaches include vector biology, epidemiology, immunology, mosquito metabolism, molecular biology and genomics. The faculty maintains laboratory based research and collaborations currently in India, Mali, Rwanda, Thailand, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.  The department faculty is also affiliated with the Vector-Borne Infectious Disease Research Center .

Medical Entomology
The medical entomology program focuses on vector biology, control, genetics, human behavior associated with infection risk, and the impact of vector-borne infections on pregnancy. Local, national, and international research has spanned the major vector-borne pathogens and diseases including dengue, Zika, malaria, Chagas, filariasis, and Lyme disease. The program is closely allied with undergraduate and graduate training in both the field and laboratory.

Chagas Disease
The Chagas disease program aims to understand the epidemiology of parasite transmission in the US and other endemic areas and to develop tools for control. These include vector control interventions, epidemiological surveillance, and the pre-clinical evaluation of new drugs and vaccines. In addition to laboratory-based research, faculty members participate in international collaborative projects currently in Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador.

Research Centers

Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation

This center was established in 2013 with the mission of maximizing the public health impact of malaria programs by applying innovative and interdisciplinary research tools to solve current and expected challenges in malaria elimination. The center seeks to improve malaria programs through applied population-based evaluation research that is interdisciplinary in its approach for building a robust evidence base to guide malaria control and elimination efforts in the most affected areas. The center has ongoing applied malaria research in Haiti, Zambia, Mali, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Zanzibar:

• Malaria Elimination in Haiti (Malaria Zero)
   
• VectorWorks
   
• Malaria Elimination in Zambia
   
• Strengthening Malaria Monitoring and Evaluation Systems (SMMES) in Ethiopia
   
• International Center for Excellence in Malaria Research (ICEMR)

Completed projects:

• Collaboration on malaria research with PATH-Malaria Control and Evaluation Partnership in Africa (MACEPA)
   
• Ethiopia malaria surveillance (Ethiopia Associate Award)
   
• Lives Saved Tool (LiST) modeling for the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group
   
• Improving Malaria Diagnostics (IMAD) sub-agreement
   
• Translating efficacy into effectiveness of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) using an interpersonal communication intervention to decrease the gap between ITN ownership and use
   
• Planning malaria training in Zambia
   
• Impact evaluation of indoor residual spray campaign in Eritrea
   
• Measuring malaria transmission in Haiti
• ACL/BSL Core Facility
  • Contact Us
     
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  • Office of Biosafety
     
  • Institutional Biosafety Committee
     
  • Office of Research Proposal Development
     
  • Proofreading & Editing Service
     
  • Funding and Grants Research Guide
     
  • Sponsored Projects Administration

TRMD Faculty and their Research Interests
https://sph.tulane.edu/trmd/faculty-0

Infectious Diseases

Our infectious disease faculty focus on reproductive and sexual health including HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The team engages in randomized trials as well as community trials, are frequent advisors to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and collaborate with the Louisiana Office of Public Health and local agencies. Their research is multi-disciplinary, spanning topics from the microbiome to medication adherence and other behavioral aspects of HIV and sexual health.

Infectious Diseases Research

Trichomonas vaginalis repeat infections among HIV negative women (PI:  Patricia Kissinger)
This is a randomized trial to examine the efficacy of two different doses of metronidazole for the treatment of Trichomonas vaginalis among HIV negative women and to better understand the origin of repeat infections using behavioral, genotyping and susceptibility testing.

A new approach to controlling chlamydia transmission in young people (PI:  Patricia Kissinger)
This is a cohort study to examine the effect of screening men for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae and providing expedited treatment for infected men and their female sexual partners on the rates of these infection among women in the general population. We will also conduct mathematical modeling to determine the percentage of men needed to screen to influence the rate in women and the cost effectiveness of the program.

Faculty Who Focus on Infectious Diseases

Susan Hassig, DrPH, MPH
https://sph.tulane.edu/epid/susan-hassig

Patricia Kissinger, PhD, MPH
https://sph.tulane.edu/epid/patricia-kissinger