US-UK Collab: RCN: Vector Behavior in Transmission Ecology (VectorBiTE)

美英合作：RCN：传播生态学中的媒介行为 (VectorBiTE)

• 批准号: 9113464
• 负责人: Leah Renee Johnson
• 金额: $ 1.9万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-07-20 至 2016-08-06
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9113464
• 关键词: Agriculture; Animals; Behavior; Behavioral; Code; Collaborations; Complex; Data; Data Collection; Data Set; Databases; Development; Disease; Ecology; Educational workshop; Evolution; Health; Heterogeneity; Human; Infection; Information Dissemination; Insect Vectors; Institution; Investigation; Link; Longevity; Medical; Methods; Modeling; Plants; Research; Research Personnel; Resistance; Role; Statistical Methods; System; Testing; Theoretical model; Training; Validation; Variant; Vector-transmitted infectious disease; Work; climate change; disease transmission; improved; life history; meetings; novel strategies; response; role model; symposium; tool; trait; transmission process; vector

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Vector Behavior in Transmission Ecology Research Coordination Network (VectorBiTE RCN) will facilitate investigation into the role of vector behavior and life history in disease transmission dynamics. The proposed work aims to accomplish this by promoting (1) the development of theoretical models that include more details of vector behavior and heterogeneity; (2) improved data collection and statistical methods to enable such models to be confronted with data; (3) development of comprehensive and freely available validation datasets to allow testing of methods and comparison between proposed models in a transparent fashion; and (4) training of young researchers in these new tools and methods as they are developed. These objectives will be accomplished through: (A) annual meetings and workshops to bring together empirical and theoretical biologists across diverse systems and institutions; (B) the development of an online platform with repositories for data on vector behavior and code for modeling the role of behavior on transmission dynamics; and (C) providing opportunities to educate fellow researchers and the public about network advances via online and conference presentations. Intellectual Merit: Complex vector behaviors and life history traits are often expressed as fixed values in models and do not vary over vector lifespan, with vector infection status or condition, or in response to environmental variation. There is mounting empirical evidence that vector behavioral ecology does vary across all of these scales. However, tools to incorporate this variability to understand transmission dynamics are lacking. This gap presents key questions such as: Do altered behaviors in infected vectors alter disease dynamics? What conditions promote transmission and how will globalization and climate change alter the distribution and intensity of vector borne diseases? Which control strategies might minimize the evolution of transmission/resistance? Understanding the dynamics of these diseases across medical, wildlife, veterinary, and agricultural settings, requires determining whether this variation is important for explaining dynamics. This RCN will facilitate collaborations to develop new approaches linking vector ecology with transmission.

 描述（由申请人提供）：传播生态学研究协调网络中的媒介行为（VectorBiTE RCN）将促进对媒介行为和生活史在疾病传播动态中的作用的研究。拟议的工作旨在通过促进（1）实现这一目标。开发包括向量行为和异质性的更多细节的理论模型；（2）改进数据收集和统计方法，使此类模型能够面对数据；（3）开发全面且免费的验证数据集，以允许测试方法和方法。以透明的方式对提出的模型进行比较；(4) 在这些新工具和方法开发过程中对年轻研究人员进行培训。这些目标将通过以下方式实现：(A) 年度会议和研讨会，将经验和理论生物学家聚集在一起。不同的系统和机构；(B) 开发一个在线平台，其中包含矢量行为数据存储库和用于模拟行为对传播动态的作用的代码；以及 (C) 提供机会，向其他研究人员和公众介绍网络进步；在线和会议演讲。媒介行为和生活史特征通常在模型中表示为固定值，并且不会随着媒介的生命周期、媒介感染状态或条件或对环境变化的反应而变化。越来越多的经验证据表明，媒介行为生态学确实因媒介而异。然而，缺乏整合这种变异性来了解传播动态的工具，例如：受感染媒介的行为会改变疾病动态吗？全球化和气候变化将如何改变分布。哪些控制策略可以最大限度地减少媒介传播疾病？了解这些疾病在医学、野生动物、兽医和农业环境中的动态，需要确定这种变化对于解释动态是否重要。该 RCN 将促进合作开发将病媒生态学与传播联系起来的新方法。