Internal Proposal
CENTER FOR AIRBORNE PATHOGEN RESEARCH AND TUBERCULOSIS IMAGING (CAPRI)
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
THE TEXAS A&M HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER

Responsible Administrative Unit:
Department of Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis, COM, TAMHSC

Collaborating Units: 

Biochemistry/Biophysics, TAMU

Center for Microencapsulation and Drug Delivery, TAMHSC

Chemical Engineering, TAMU

CSTOR Institute

Institute of Biosciences and Technology, TAMHSC

Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis, COM, TAMHSC

Molecular and Cellular Medicine, COM, TAMHSC

Statistics, TAMU

Texas Institute for Preclinical Studies, TAMU

Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine, TAMU

Veterinary Pathobiology, CVM, TAMU

List of Proposed Faculty:

L. Garry Adams, DVM, PhD, Veterinary Pathobiology, CVM, TAMU

Robert C. Alaniz, PhD, Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis, COM, TAMHSC

H. Andrews-Polymenis, DVM, PhD, Microbial & Molecular Pathogenesis, COM, TAMHSC

Gabriella Bowden, PhD, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, TAMHSC

Jeffrey D. Cirillo, PhD, Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis, COM, TAMHSC

Paul de Figureido, PhD, Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, TAMU

Thomas Ficht, PhD, Veterinary Pathobiology, CVM, TAMU

Theresa W. Fossum, DVM, PhD, Texas Institute for Preclinical Studies, TAMU

Magnus Hööke, PhD, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, TAMHSC

David P. Huston, MD, Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis, COM, TAMHSC

Amminikutty Jeevan, PhD, Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis, COM, TAMHSC

Julian Leibowitz, MD, PhD, Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis, COM, TAMHSC

Blanca Lupiani, PhD, Veterinary Pathobiology, CVM, TAMU

Bani K. Mallick, PhD, Statistics, TAMU

M. Martinez-Moczygemba, PhD, Microbial & Molecular Pathogenesis, COM, TAMHSC

David McMurray, PhD, Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis, COM, TAMHSC

Waithaka Mwangi, PhD, Veterinary Pathobiology, CVM, TAMU

John Quarles, PhD, Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis, COM, TAMHSC

Alison Rice-Ficht, PhD, Molecular and Cellular Medicine, COM, TAMHSC

James Sacchettini, PhD, Biochemistry/Biophysics, TAMU

James Samuel, PhD, Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis, COM, TAMHSC

Veronica Sanchez, PhD, Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis, COM, TAMHSC

William Shawlot, PhD, Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine, TAMU

Jon T. Skare, PhD, Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis, COM, TAMHSC

Vernon L. Tesh, PhD, Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis, COM, TAMHSC

Thomas K. Wood, PhD, Chemical Engineering, TAMU

Yi Xu, PhD, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, TAMHSC

Mission: Enhance infectious diseases research and education throughout the Texas A&M University System.

Goals: This center will provide the necessary foundation and framework to strengthen existing and enhance possibilities for future research and education in infectious diseases within the Texas A&M University System.  Since respiratory infections are one of the most important causes of death in humans nationally and worldwide, the ultimate goal of the Center will be to improve health throughout the State of Texas by development of novel prevention, treatment and diagnostic strategies for infectious diseases,  In particular, we expect this center to stimulate Collaborative Research on Aerobiology, Immunology, Pathology, Molecular Pathogenesis, Small Animal Models and Imaging Technology for respiratory pathogens. These interactions will result in enhanced educational and research opportunities that span the entire System through solidification of the existing strengths in infectious diseases, currently scattered throughout a number of individual units. 

Objectives:

1.  Establish a core structure for the center within the Health Science Center.  This core resource will have available facilities including animal housing, aerosol delivery and major equipment resources such as flow cytometry, microarray, imaging and microscopy.  Technical support for equipment will be part of the core resource.

2.  The center will provide a platform of faculty, expertise and resources for infectious disease investigators to manage existing and initiate new large interdisciplinary projects and educational opportunities that span the entire System.  These interactions are expected to initiate new program project and center grant applications from the system to various federal agencies and private foundations.  In particular, this platform will be important for the management of two interdisciplinary projects that are already funded: 1) The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Grant “Real-time optical imaging solutions for tuberculosis infections” with total costs of $3,196,780 and 2) the National Institutes of Health contract for Small Animal Models of Infectious Diseases “Small Animal Model Vaccines and Pathogenesis” with a potential contract value of $50,000 - $20,000,000 over the next seven years.

3.  Continued collaboration between faculty from units throughout the System will be stimulated by sponsorship of group meetings, initiation of collaborative grant proposals and projects as well as key symposia that are of interest to all members.

4.  A framework will be created within the center to enhance infectious disease education throughout the system through support and maintenance of the existing structure for the Host-Pathogen Interface Training Grant Program that has been funded by the National Institutes of Health with the expectation of re-configuring the program into a vigorous new training grant that will allow continued funding. Financial support for the creation of an Endowed Chair in Airborne Pathogen Research will be an important goal in the expansion of the Center to significantly add to the capabilities of training, research and lead to national prominence.

5.  Private investment will be sought to further the goals of improving health throughout the State of Texas through research toward novel prevention and treatment strategies for infectious diseases and respiratory infections, in particular.

Timeline:

Year 1:  Objective 1 - Establishment of a core structure expected to be complete, though all facilities may not yet be available within the core.  Objective 2 – The components of the Center currently exist throughout the system, but by creating the Center, improved communication and establishment of a point of contact for interactions will be established.  Management of existing contracts and grants will be coordinated within the Center.  Plans for program projects or center grants will be initiated based on available RFAs.  Objective 3 – Continued collaboration will be stimulated by the Center and meetings will be initiated at least bi-annually within the group.  Objective 4 – Focus efforts on the development of a new training grant (T32) proposal to National Institutes of Health for graduate education in infectious diseases.  Objective 5 – Queries will be made regarding how best to publicize the center and ties will be established to obtain continued private investment support for its goals.  Objective 6 – Develop a strategy to recruit financial support for the creation of an Endowed Chair in Airborne Pathogen Research.

Year 2: Objective 1 – The Center will be utilized to determine the critical facilities necessary for infectious diseases research throughout the System.  Objective 2 – The external executive committee (experts in the field) will convene to provide input on the development of the Center.  At least one collaborative project will be initiated and current progress interdisciplinary projects evaluated Objective 3 – Continued collaboration will be stimulated by the presence of the Center and meetings will be continued at least bi-annually within the group as well as initiating at least one symposium involving outside experts.  Objective 4 – Progress toward obtaining training grant funds (T32, National Institutes of Health) for graduate education in infectious diseases will be evaluated and other potential training grant opportunities investigated.  Objective 5 – Continue efforts to publicize the Center and strategies to establish external partnerships.

Year 3: Objective 1 – Efforts will focus on establishing the priority facilities and ensuring continued smooth operations in support of infectious diseases research.  Objective 2 – Recommendations of the external executive committee will be implemented.  At least one collaborative project will be initiated and current progress of current interdisciplinary projects evaluated.  Objective 3 – Meetings will be continued at least bi-annually within the group.  The success of meetings and will be evaluated.  Objective 4 – Issues within the graduate training program that impact potential to obtain training grants will be evaluated and addressed.  Objective 5 – Goal to have established at least one source of private funding for the Center and investigating additional sources to allow Center evolution.

Year 4:  Objectives will be re-evaluated to determine whether the goals and missions of the Center need adjustment and whether they meet the needs of the Center members.  Adjustments to the objectives will be made and appropriate changes in the organizational structure implemented.

Year 5:  Comprehensive review of the center both internally by the members and directors and in conjunction with the external executive committee.  Recommendations and new concepts will be implemented as they are judged by the members to fit within the goals and mission of the Center.

Rationale:  This Center is greatly needed by the entire system to provide a foundation and framework from which infectious diseases researchers, who are currently scattered throughout the Texas A&M University System, can interact and launch collaborative research projects and education programs.  As federal and private scientific funding organizations continue to focus on larger, team scientific efforts, it is essential that we are well-positioned to respond to RFAs that arise, which often have a short turnaround time.  Having the necessary structure and facilities in place will allow the System to rapidly respond to opportunities in a professional and competitive manner, and is more likely to succeed than the current ad hoc model for generating a response.  In addition, there are two interdisciplinary projects that are currently funded and will be managed within this Center since the collaborating researchers span several different components of the Texas A&M System.  These research projects are: 1) The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Grant “Real-time optical imaging solutions for tuberculosis infections” with total costs of $3,196,780 and 2) the NIH contract for Small Animal Models of Infectious Diseases “Small Animal Model Vaccines and Pathogenesis” with a potential contract value of $50,000 - $20,000,000 over the next seven years.  Most of the proposed members for the center were selected due to their involvement in one or more of these projects.

Potential Activities:  Research project development, research project management, facilities development, facilities management, educational program development, training grant preparation, training grant management, symposium planning, research group meetings and establishment of collaborative networks within the system.  Research projects will be oriented toward infectious diseases related vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.

Resource Requirements:  Current space and facilities available to Center members throughout the system and currently available resources will be used to establish the Center.

Governance and Advisory Structure:  The proposed Center is an HSC level component.  The Co-Directors for the Center will be Drs. Jeffrey D. Cirillo and James E. Samuel.  Members of the Center will interact directly with the directors.  The Small Animal Model Vaccine and Pathogenesis (SAMVAP) structure will be incorporated within the Center and provide the Expert Advisory Panel, which is an external group of experts that will provide input on the management, progress toward goals and organization of the Center.  The SAMVAP will also provide much of the management structure, with the account administration and management team participating in the organization and management of the Center.

Advisory Board:  The Advisory Board will be composed initially of the existing Expert Advisory Panel for SAMVAP because of the intimate relationship between management of SAMVAP and the Center.  The current members of the advisory board were chosen for their internationally recognized expertise in infectious diseases, in particular, respiratory infections, and their desire to contribute to development of infectious disease research at the Texas A&M University System.  The current members are Dr. David Lewinsohn for Oregon Health Sciences University, Dr. D. Mark Estes from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and Dr. William R. Jacobs, Jr. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.  Their terms will be six years with the option for one renewal for another term after which another member will be selected based on similar criteria.

Financial Plan:  Current sources of funding for the Center include: 1) The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Grant “Real-time optical imaging solutions for tuberculosis infections” with total costs of $3,196,780 and 2) the NIH contract for Small Animal Models of Infectious Diseases “Small Animal Model Vaccines and Pathogenesis” with a potential contract value of $50,000 - $20,000,000 over the next seven years.  We have asked the institution for matching funds of $50,000 to provide maintenance support for SAMVAP during the development of this Center.  Future plans are to continue development of interdisciplinary extramurally funded research and education projects that can be managed through this Center.  In addition, we plan to aggressively pursue private investment in the Center to further the goals of improving health throughout the State of Texas by development of novel vaccine, therapeutic and diagnostic strategies.

Periodic Review:

  As outlined in our Timeline objectives, we will review the Center through use of the Advisory Board every two years and carry out internal review and re-organization by the fourth year after creation of the Center.  Comprehensive internal and external review will occur continuously throughout the existence of the Center every five years.