About Us
We Are A Group Of Professional Plumbers
Vision
We posit that by examining the interfaces between people, domestic animals and wildlife, we will understand more about how our interactions with the environment (e.g., habitat alteration and climate change) can alter the risk of Emerging Infectious Diseases (EDIs), and can lead to the emergence of novel pathogens. Our research schemes will allow us to understand more about the ecology and evolution of important mosquito and tick disease vectors, and how their life history impacts on the diseases they spread.
Through identifying ecological mechanisms and parameters important for disease assessment, our research will inform control strategies to effectively manage EIDs within Panama and more broadly too. We will also be better placed to respond to the spill-over of new EIDs, which threaten both regional and global human populations. Our research agenda will ultimately help to reduce EIDs and the economic burden in Panama by developing surveillance and intervention strategies to improve the prediction of disease outbreaks. In doing so, we aim at providing theoretical and practical models for other highly impacted tropical countries.
Approach
The One Health – Eco Health framework for Integrative Research on Human-Animal-Environment Health
Zoonotic pathogens (e.g., of Animal origin) account for approximately 75% of the emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in the world, and are the major concern in public health safety. The integrative human-animal-environment, often called One Health – Eco Health framework, is essential for our society to understand and predict emergence, spread and persistence of novel zoonotic diseases, and develop various measures to prepare, adapt and mitigate potential pandemic threats under a rapidly changing environment.
The complexity of EIDs requires interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary actions to be taken in order to find sustainable solutions to mitigate them. We believe that a multidisciplinary approach based on research experience, strong collaboration, stakeholder involvement, and the use of high-tech research instruments while recognizing the constraints of health services in Panama will lead to realistic and sustainable solutions for the ever-growing public health challenges of EIDs.
Aims
- Develop and improve research facility and infrastructure in (a) zoonotic diseases, food security and chronic disorders with a focus on experimental research on the ecology, genomic, chemistry, molecular biology, sociology, and biotechnology of vectors, pathogens, animal hosts and the environment, (b) the field investigation facility for data gathering in spatial epidemiology, statistical analysis, predicting models and disease ecology.
- Reinforce and improve the research activities and career development of students, junior faculty and independent researchers who are new to the field through (a) senior mentorship and close collaboration and (b) improved research facilities.
- Broaden the One Health – Eco Health research, education, and training at INDICASAT AIP, the Smithsonian Topical Research Institute, and the University of Panama through field and laboratory supported activities such as annual symposia, a seed grant program, the core research facilities, high impact factor publications, and postgraduate programs.