Developing a Knowledge Ecosystem for Research of Endemic Mycoses: Integrating a Multidisciplinary and International Team of Experts in the Field.

• Grant number: 24/14942-2
• Support Opportunities: Special Projects
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2030
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Pelleschi Taborda
• Grantee: Carlos Pelleschi Taborda
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Alessandro Comarú Pasqualotto ; Amanda Ribeiro dos Santos ; Anamelia Lorenzetti Bocca ; Andrea Regina de Souza Baptista ; Angel Augusto Gonzalez Marin ; Arnaldo Lopes Colombo ; Beatriz Lucia Gomez Giraldo ; Dayvison Francis Saraiva Freitas ; Duncan Wilson ; ELAINE MARY BIGNELL ; Fausto Bruno dos Reis Almeida ; Gil Benard ; Gordon Brown ; Gustavo Giusiano ; Héctor Manuel Mora Montes ; José Angelo Lauletta Lindoso ; Joshua D Nosanchuk ; Liliane Mukaremera ; Marcio Lourenço Rodrigues ; Mathieu NACHER ; Nelesh Premapragasan Govender ; Peter Cook ; Rhys Farrer ; Roberta Peres da Silva ; Sandro Rogerio de Almeida

Abstract

The Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology (MRC CMM) is one of the world's largest Centres that studies medically important fungi, currently representing roughly 25% of UK scientists working in medical mycology. Our aim is to facilitate research and training, particularly in those areas of the world wherefungal infections cause a huge burden on human health.We propose to establish the CMM South American Unit (CMM SAMERICA) to be located in São Paulo state, Brazil.The MRC CMM Principal Investigators (PIs) bring a unique breadth of expertise and interdisciplinarity that drives an integrated research programme comprised of fundamental molecular mycology, infection biology, fungal immunology and clinical mycology. This wide-ranging expertise enables the development of unique synergies, facilitating the simultaneous analysis of both the host and pathogen todetermine their individual contributions to the pathogenesis of disease, and the translation of this fundamental science to the clinic. This expertise will be complemented by that of Brazilian medical mycologists studying local endemic fungal disease.In August 2017, the MRC CMM established the CMM AFRICA Unit at the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa. UCT is the leading university on the African continent and the CMM AFRICA Unit is based within the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM). The objectives of the CMM AFRICA Unit areto facilitate research and promote training in medical mycology in South Africa, and across the African continent. Similarly, the new CMM SAMERICA Unit will exploit local and UK-based funding streams to build capacity and increase knowledge in medical mycology in Brazil, and throughout South America. (AU)