Sylvia Becker-Dreps, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Epidemiology; Director, UNC Program-Nicaragua; Associate Director, Office of International Activities
The Nicaraguan Emerging and Endemic Diseases (NEED) Training Program
About our program:
The program’s objectives include:
- Provide long-term, pre-doctoral training in infectious disease epidemiology at UNC to two young investigators from UNAN-León. These graduates will contribute to the core research faculty at UNAN-León to address pressing local research agendas.
- Create a sustainable supply of well-trained biomedical scientists in the region by establishing an accredited PhD program in Biomedical Sciences at UNANLeón. We will enroll five pre-doctoral candidates in the initial cohort. This program builds upon a successful Master’s program of Microbiology in place at UNAN-León and fills a huge need in Nicaragua for rigorous PhD level biomedical research training. We further support five of these pre-doctoral trainees for one-month long laboratory trainings at UNC.
- Foster professional growth and research skills development among 140 trainees of all levels, including local faculty, to ensure academic and research success. Robust short-term trainings in professional and research skills needed to become an independent investigator and successful academician are provided to both trainees and local faculty to ensure that the program’s impacts extend more broadly.
This program will result in a multidisciplinary research team at UNAN-Leon to confront the emerging and endemic viral diseases that affect public health both regionally and globally. Our approach is made feasible by leveraging an existing successful Master’s program at UNAN-León and by providing trainees the opportunity to partner with mentors at both UNC and UNAN-León on a growing array of collaborative research projects.
Principal Investigators:
Program Application Information Forthcoming. For more information in the meantime, reach out to the Fellowships and Training Programs Office.