Translational Infectious Diseases Research Hub
On the way to better public health policy
The Translational Infectious Diseases research hub employs One Health/EcoHealth approaches to infectious diseases research by bringing together faculty members from the fields of basic science, public health and health management with relevant clinical specialties. This multidisciplinary project is expected to create the critical mass that would facilitate an academic quantum leap in the field of infectious diseases, ultimately translating into better public health policy.
The One Health / EcoHealth approach has emerged over recent years in order to create solutions for complex scientific problems related to health, while bridging inherent gaps between academic and medical, clinical, veterinary and public health disciplines. This approach takes into consideration the inter-dependence of human, animal and environmental health and promotes multi-disciplinary and cross-sectoral research in a ‘holistic’ fashion, in areas such as zoonotic diseases or infections borne by food, water and other environmental vehicles. Infections acquired through mucosal exposure to pathogens, mainly the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, constitute an ongoing global challenge for diagnosis, treatment and prevention, and are tightly linked to environmental factors.
For more information, please contact the hub coordinators:
- Prof. Jacob Moran-Gilad, Health Systems Management (giladko@post.bgu.ac.il)
- Prof. David Greenberg, Pediatrics
As the role of the human microbiome in health and disease increasingly becomes evident, harnessing the One Health/EcoHealth approaches to bolster translational research of infectious diseases can be expected to integrate various methodologies, including genomics and proteomics, epidemiology, computational biology, health policy, economics and social aspects. While several leading researchers at the FOHS are already engaged in research in the abovementioned disciplines, there is a clear need and a unique opportunity to leverage their expertise for multi-disciplinary synergic research projects. The proposed research hub focuses on translational infectious diseases research and is expected to create the critical mass that would facilitate an academic quantum leap in this area, by joining up staff members from the fields of basic science, public health and health management with the relevant clinical specialties. The hub will take advantage of existing centers of excellence within the Faculty, specializing in relevant areas. Linking with researchers from various disciplines under the One Health/EcoHealth umbrella is also expected to benefit future research dealing with environmental health, in addition to infectious diseases
