[PTHE Roster]

The Pathogenic Eukaryotes Study Section reviews applications involving protozoal, helminthic, and fungal pathogens in humans, and animal models.

Specific areas covered by PTHE:

• Mechanisms of pathogenesis, including pathogen-host cell receptor interactions, signaling pathways in both host cell and pathogen, molecular mechanisms of virulence, manipulation of host cell biological pathways, and factors associated with asymptomatic infection and/or commensalisms
• Primary host defenses, including genetic basis of host resistance and susceptibility to infection and disease, induction and regulation of innate and acquired immunity, evasion of host immune response
• Biochemical processes of the pathogen: including, metabolism, enzymology, physiology, and replication
• Identification and preclinical validation of potential chemotherapeutic targets and diagnostic strategies
• Pathogen cell biology, including novel organelles, secretory processes, and mechanisms of motility
• Pathogen differentiation, morphogenesis, and developmental processes required for the infectious cycle, including transmission and persistence
• Genetic processes, including gene structure, regulation of gene expression, molecular evolution, genetic diversity, and improved genetic methodology
• Functional genomics, comparative genomics, proteomics, and other broad-based technologies for studying genomes
• Improved models of infectious cycles and diseases

PTHE has the following shared interests within the IDM IRG:

• With Clinical Research and Field Studies of Infectious Diseases [CRFS]:  Applications on protozoal, helminthic and fungal diseases in human populations or in field-based settings could be assigned to CRFS.  Laboratory and model-based studies could be assigned to PTHE.
  
  
• With Drug Discovery and Mechanisms of Antimicrobial Resistance [DDR]: Applications that focus on design and/or validation of potential chemotherapeutic agents for protozoal, helminthic, or fungal infections could be referred to DDR.  Studies where the focus is on identification of potential therapeutic targets against these agents could be referred to PTHE. 
  
  
• With Vector Biology [VB]: If the focus of an application is the pathogen, assignment could be to PTHE.  If the focus is the host vector, then assignment could be to VB.

PTHE has the following shared interests outside the IDM IRG:

• With the Biological Chemistry and Macromolecular Biophysics [BCMB]; Genes, Genomes, and Genetics [GGG]; and Cell Biology [CB] IRGs: Fundamental studies using model organisms (such as Saccharomyces cerevisae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Neurospora, Tetrahymena, and Chlamydomonas) in nonpathogenic settings could be referred to the appropriate basic science study section.  Studies involving pathogenicity could be referred to PTHE.
  
  
• With Health of the Population [HOP] IRG: Studies of health status or health outcomes that employ epidemiological methods and that use persons or groups of persons as the unit of observation could be assigned to HOP.  Studies employing epidemiological methods that use cellular or subcellular units of observation could be assigned to PTHE.
  
  
• With the Immunology [IMM] IRG: Basic studies of immune response could be referred toIMM, applications where the focus is an immune response to parasitic or fungal pathogens could be referred toPTHE.
  
  
• With the AIDS and AIDS-Related Research [AARR] IRG:Applications dealing with the molecular and cellular biology and biochemistry of parasitic and fungal pathogens involved in AIDS-related infections could be assigned to PTHE when the focus is on the pathogen, if conducted in the context of HIV infection, they could be referred to AARR.
  
  
• With the Hematology [HEME] IRG:  There is a shared interest between PTHE and HEME for parasitic infections of blood elements such as malaria. If the primary interest is in the blood cells (e.g., macrophages, cytoskeletal proteins), then assignment to HEME may be appropriate. If the main objective is to study the parasite, and characteristics of the infection that relate to the parasite, then assignment to PTHE may be appropriate.
  
  
• With the Digestive Sciences [DIG] IRG: Studies of the effects of pathogenic eukaryotes on organs is a shared interest with DIG.  When the focus of the application is on the response of the organ, it could be reviewed in DIG; when the focus is on pathogenicity review could be in PTHE.
  
  
• With Cardiovascular Sciences [CVS], Digestive Sciences [DIG], Respiratory Sciences [RES], and Renal and Urological Sciences [RUS] IRGs:  Although some applications involving eukaryotic infectious diseases may be appropriately referred to study sections focused on a specific organ system; if the focus is on the pathogen, the application could be referred to PTHE.
  
  
• With the Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience [BDCN] IRG: Fungal diseases of the nervous system are a shared interest between BDCN and PTHE.  Applications that focus on the pathogen could be assigned to PTHE, while those that focus on the manifestations in the nervous system could be assigned to BDCN.  Neurological manifestations of other infections could be referred to BDCN.