The major goal of this project is the development of qualified animal models for Sudan Ebola Virus disease.

The major goal of this project is the development of qualified animal models for Sudan Ebola Virus disease. Txbiomed Project: 4699

This study will determine the impact of HIV on M.tb-induced granuloma-like structures. We plan to measure the effect of HIV infection on pre-formed M.tb granuloma structure and function as well as determine how pre-existing HIV infection affects subsequent M.tb-induced granuloma formation and function. Txbiomed Project: 4671

The major goal of this project is the development of qualified animal models for Marburg Disease.

The major goal of this project is the development of qualified animal models for Marburg Disease. Txbiomed Project: 4700

People of Mexican ancestry, both in the United States and the Republic of Mexico, have much higher risk than the US population average for cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and hypertension (i.e., cardiometabolic risk). The overall goal of this project is to identify the molecular networks in the fasting and fed (postprandial) states that are involved in the development of this risk to increase our biological understanding of these major public health threats.

The current program to control and eliminate schistosomiasis is based on mass chemotherapy with praziquantel (PZQ). The success of this campaign is dependent on the continued effectiveness of this drug. Development of widespread PZQ resistance would severely impede these programs, so it is critical that we develop tools for determining the level of resistance in treated populations, which is the goal of this study.

The major goal of this proposal is to vaccinate neonatal macaques with recombinant, TLR-2 stimulating, BCG vaccine, which can induce central memory T cells, and thereby generate long-term immunity against tuberculosis. We will, therefore: 1) Evaluate TH1 immune responses induced by wild type and recombinant BCG vaccine in neonatal macaques; 2) evaluate efficacy of wild type and recombinant BCG vaccines against tuberculosis in neonatal macaques; and, 3) evaluate long-term efficacy of wild type and recombinant BCG vaccines using in neonatal macaques.

Infective larvae of Schistosoma mansoni are released from an aquatic snail host both the numbers of infective stages released and the timing of release vary between parasite genotypes. This grant utilizes linkage mapping to determine the genetic basis for variation in these two key transmission related traits.

Dr. Schlesinger will provide guidance and know how regarding TB and risks associated with type 2 diabetes to Dr. Kleynhans of Stellenbosch University.