Mission Statement

To protect public health by minimizing animal to human, environmental, and food borne infectious disease threats through innovative interdisciplinary research.

This will be achieved through a program of research excellence that is broad in scope encompassing the full range of relevant sciences from the laboratory bench to the community. We embrace the interdisciplinary nature of the program recognizing that breakthroughs will likely emerge at the interface of scientific disciplines. Accordingly, this program draws strength from both the diversity of academic programs that underlie it, as well as a unifying focus and direction related to public health preparedness and infectious diseases.

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Doctoral Student? - Apply for the 2008/2009 Graduate Fellowship

Recent threats of worldwide disease pandemics, bioterrorism, and natural disasters underscore the critical importance of public health preparedness to the safety and security of the United States. With strategic investments, The Ohio State University (OSU) is developing a world class comprehensive interdisciplinary program in infectious diseases, biodefense, and public health preparedness. The program in Public Health Preparedness for Infectious Diseases (PHPID) includes six colleges (Colleges of Medicine; Public Health; Veterinary Medicine; Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; Pharmacy; and Biological Sciences) providing leadership in scientific discoveries and training of health professionals that will prevent or mitigate the public health impact of future catastrophic events. The PHPID is seeking applications for a new Ph.D. graduate fellowship program. Read more and apply...

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Particular research goals include:

• Translate scientific discoveries into clinical applications e.g. new diagnostics, therapies, and vaccines for infectious diseases;
• Detect the presence of emerging infectious diseases within communities, the underlying mode of transmission, and strategies for prevention, control and treatment;
• Prevent human infection from antibiotic resistant zoonotic (animal to human) micro-organisms through an understanding of livestock immune systems -- particularly the gastrointestinal
  tract -- with an aim to reduce use of antibiotics in animals
• Address food safety issues during food production, processing, transport, storage, retail, or consumer use, with an aim to decrease infections and associated fatalities caused by
  food-borne illness; and
• Train professionals in veterinary public health and infectious diseases public health preparedness.