The Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Responses Training Program (MPath) draws on considerable resources and training experience to provide an outstanding environment for preparing students to pursue scientific careers in an important research area. Infectious diseases are the leading cause of human mortality in the world and a major cause of death in the U.S. Their significance is increasing due to:
- The emergence of newly identified pathogens and re-emergence of known pathogens.
- The increasing immunocompromise of the human population associated with HIV/AIDS, transplantation, cancer and cancer therapy, hospitalization, and aging.
- Microbial development of antibiotic resistance.
- Mass processing and distribution of foods.
- New attribution of infectious and/or immunological etiologies for cardiovascular, neurological, and gastrointestinal diseases and cancer.
- Demonstrated or potential bioterrorism and biowarfare.
There is a great need for training of a new generation of scientists in basic mechanisms of microbial pathogenesis and host responses, as recognized by recent increased funding for NIH and specifically NIAID. MPath is supported by NIH training grant T32 AI055397. The University of Wisconsin has great investigator expertise in this area and attracts a large and talented pool of predoctoral trainee candidates. Once students join one of several graduate programs on campus such as the Microbiology Doctoral Training Program (MDTP), they work closely with their faculty advisors and receive outstanding research training using state-of-the-art experimental techniques to address important biological questions. Students typically receive the Ph.D. degree after five to six years of graduate training and several publications in peer-reviewed journals. UW graduates typically progress into competitive postdoctoral training positions and subsequently into academic, industry, or government research careers.
The University and its graduate programs and training grants are committed to the recruitment and success of women and underrepresented minority candidates in scientific research careers. The MPath director serves as the program Underrepresented Minority coordinator. Links to resources focused on campus diversity may be found under UW-Madison Links.
