BACKGROUND

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The Braley Fellows Program was established in 2019 to provide an elite group of PhD students from the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR) with a broad understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) from diagnosis, tracking, and surveillance to clinical management. Participation in the Program provides an exciting opportunity for IIDR trainees to expand their professional network and future career opportunities. Fellows learn the background and communication skills needed to communicate to broad audiences about the importance and challenges of AMR, and, in collaboration with the course coordinator, develop a personalized skills development plan designed to increase their competitiveness in their chosen career path. The program consists of two components:

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1. Between October and April, Fellows participate in a course (~2 hours biweekly) consisting of lectures and facilitated discussions from partners from Public Health Ontario, clinicians, and clinician-scientists. The Fellows are given the opportunity to visit the Public Health Ontario (Toronto) laboratory to gain a better understanding of how AMR is detected and tracked. Braley Fellows may take this course either as an elective course or an extra course, upon permission of the course instructor and their graduate program. 

2. The second component of the course is a research project, which will be performed in collaboration with a partner that may include a clinician, a scientist from Public Health Ontario, or a community partner. This is expected to occur in the Summer semester (although there is some flexibility) and to be about 133 hours of work (the equivalent of a TA position in most programs). The Braley Fellow will be compensated for the equivalent of a 133hr TA. Participation in the research elective is contingent on completing the course component.

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ELIGIBILITY

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• PhD students supervised by an IIDR faculty member and entering the 3rd or 4th year of their program. Students from all graduate programs are eligible and do not have to be studying AMR as part of their PhD research. Students must have completed their transfer and have the approval of their supervisor.

• Students must have a demonstrated record of research productivity (e.g. manuscripts published or submitted).

• Students must forgo their TA during their time in the Braley Fellows Program. They will receive an equivalent stipend to perform a research project equivalent to a 133 hr TA. Their supervisor must email Dr. Dawn Bowdish indicating that participation in the project will not interfere with the student's research and that they understand they will be performing a research project in lieu of a TA position. 

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EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

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1. Diagnosis and detection - how a diagnosis of pathogens and AMR occurs;

2. Antibiotic use in the clinic - how antibiotics are prescribed;

3. Diagnosis as prognosis - how diagnosis with an antibiotic-resistant infection impacts clinical decision-making and alters patient prognosis;     

4. Tracking AMR at the population level - how public health agencies track AMR;

5. Antimicrobial stewardship & clinical AMR management;

6. From evidence to impact - how WHO guidelines for antibiotic use are developed and implemented.