[IRAP Roster] 

The Infectious Diseases, Reproductive Health, Asthma and Pulmonary Conditions [IRAP] Study Section reviews applications on epidemiologic research in infectious disease, reproductive health, asthma/allergy and other non-malignant lung disorders/conditions. 

Specific areas covered by IRAP: 

• The distribution of infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy, and non-malignant pulmonary conditions in human populations in relation to time, place, environmental exposures, and personal characteristics or behaviors.
  
  
• Infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy, and non-malignant pulmonary conditions that focus on the general characteristics, at a population level, with respect to the risk or protective factors that may lead to these conditions.
  
  
• The determinants of infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy and non-malignant pulmonary conditions studied by assembling groups of individuals to determine systematically whether the risk of disease/condition is different for individuals who are exposed or not exposed to specific factors (or combinations of factors) of interest.  These may be either risk or protective factors.
  
  
• Elucidation of the causative agents of infection, including bacterial, viral, helminthic, fungal, protozoal, parasitic and other agents such as prions, as they relate to reproductive, asthma/allergy, and non-malignant pulmonary disease in human populations.
  
  
• Elucidation of the agent-human host-environment triangle that emphasizes the effects of interactions among agents, human hosts, and environmental factors on the emergence, spread, and epidemiologic control of infectious diseases in the human populations. Microbial agents and other non-human living entities part of the chain of transmission as either vectors or reservoirs for human disease are included as environmental factors.
  
  
• Elucidation of the etiologic pathways to infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy, or non-malignant pulmonary diseases/conditions using the full range of epidemiologic inquiry, including molecular, genetic, laboratory, or clinical measures within the context of an epidemiologic study design.
  
  
• Prevention trials in all settings that address infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy, or non-malignant pulmonary conditions.
  
  
• Transmission of disease from animals to humans where the outcome of primary interest is human disease.
  
  
• Risk factors for emerging infections, some which may have bioterrorism potential, that result in spread of disease in human populations and strategies for control at the population level.
  
  
• Laboratory-based research when the primary thrust is epidemiologic and laboratory data to be collected by methods that are largely already developed.
  
  
• Development and improvement of research designs and methodologies addressing epidemiologic questions in infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy, and non-malignant pulmonary conditions.
  
  

IRAP has the following shared interests within the HOP IRG: 

• With Behavioral Genetics and Epidemiology [BGES]:  Studies that focus primarily on genetically-determined and environmentally-acquired behaviors that facilitate transmission of infectious agents may be reviewed in BGES, while studies of infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy, and non-malignant pulmonary conditions that result from bio-behavioral issues could be reviewed in IRAP.
  
  
• With Biostatistical Methods and Research Design [BMRD]: Studies that focus on epidemiologic methods and research design may be reviewed in BMRD, while studies that focus on the utilization of existing epidemiologic methods and research design for studies of infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy, and non-malignant pulmonary conditions could be reviewed in IRAP.
  
  
• With Community Influences on Health Behavior [CIHB] and Community-Level Health Promotion [CLHP]: Studies that focus on community or societal institutions and community-level  interventions to control infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy and nonmalignant lung conditions may be reviewed in CIHB or CLHP, while studies that focus on the individual may be reviewed in IRAP.
  
  
• With Cardiovascular and Sleep Epidemiology [CASE]: Studies that focus primarily on the cardiac and sleep outcomes of agent, host, and environmental characteristics and exposures may be reviewed in CASE, while studies that focus primarily on the asthma/allergy and non-malignant pulmonary outcomes could be reviewed in IRAP. Studies that focus primarily on sleep as an outcome may be reviewed in CASE, while studies that focus primarily on sleep disorders as risk factors for infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy, and non-malignant pulmonary outcomes could be reviewed in IRAP.
  
  
• With Epidemiology of Cancer [EPIC]:  Studies that focus primarily on the neoplastic outcomes of infectious agents may be reviewed in EPIC, while studies that focus on the epidemiology of the oncogenic agent could be reviewed in IRAP. Studies that focus on malignant reproductive and malignant pulmonary diseases may be reviewed in EPIC, while studies that focus on non-malignant reproductive and non-malignant pulmonary diseases could be reviewed in IRAP.
  
  
• With Kidney, Nutrition, Obesity and Diabetes [KNOD]: Studies that focus primarily on kidney diseases, nutritional processes, diabetes, and gastrointestinal conditions as outcomes may be reviewed in KNOD, while studies that focus on gastrointestinal pathogens, nutritional processes, and kidney disease as risk factors for infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy, and non-malignant pulmonary conditions could be reviewed in IRAP.
  
  
• With Neurological, Aging and Musculoskeletal Epidemiology [NAME]: Studies that focus primarily on neurologic, arthritic and musculoskeletal conditions and epilepsy may be reviewed in NAME, while studies that focus on neurologic and musculoskeletal pathogens and conditions as risk factors for infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy, and non-malignant pulmonary conditions could be reviewed in IRAP.
  
  
• With Nursing Science: Adults and Aging [NSAA] and Nursing Science: Children and Families [NSCF]: Studies that focus on nursing science standards of care and interventions as outcomes may be reviewed by NSAA and NSCF, while issues related to nursing care that are either protective or risk factors for infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy, or non-malignant pulmonary outcomes could be reviewed in IRAP.
  
  
• With Social Sciences and Population Studies [SSPS]: Studies that examine infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy, and non-malignant pulmonary outcomes in terms of demographic or socio-environmental issues as the outcomes may be reviewed in SSPS, while studies that rely primary on epidemiologic methods could be reviewed in IRAP.

 IRAP has the following shared interests outside the HOP IRG: 

• With the Genes, Genomes and Genetics [GGG] IRG: Studies that focus primarily on molecular and genetic technology and animal genetics may be reviewed by the GGG IRG, while studies on genetic epidemiology and gene-environment interactions in the etiology of human infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy, and non-malignant pulmonary conditions could be reviewed by IRAP.
  
  
• With the Risk, Prevention and Health Behavior [RPHB] IRG: Studies that focus primarily on non-epidemiologic studies with a behavioral intervention component to change health behaviors related to infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy, and non-malignant pulmonary conditions may be reviewed by the RPHB IRG, while epidemiologic studies that examine behavior as a risk factor could be reviewed by IRAP, especially if the emphasis is on the individual rather than the community.
  
  
• With the Immunology [IMM] IRG: Studies that focus primarily on immunologic factors, vaccine development, and animal studies in the areas of infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy, and non-malignant pulmonary conditions may be reviewed in the IMM IRG, while epidemiologic studies of humans may be reviewed by IRAP.
  
  
• With the Infectious Diseases and Microbiology [IDM] IRG: Studies that focus primarily on the non-human disease vector/reservoir, the genetic identity of the organism, and special characteristics of the infectious agent such as virulence or adhesion factors may be reviewed by the IDM IRG, while etiologic studies of infectious, reproductive, asthma/allergy, and non-malignant pulmonary conditions in humans could be reviewed by IRAP. Studies appropriate to IRAP include prevention trials, whereas treatment trials may be appropriate to either IDM or IRAP depending on whether the outcome of interest is the agent or the condition as it appears in humans. Studies that focus on modes of transmission in humans, studies employing molecular techniques, and studies based in clinical settings may be reviewed in IRAP if the study is epidemiologic in nature and focuses on the human host. Studies that focus on characteristics of the vector/reservoir that determines transmission and spread and studies that are not epidemiologic in nature and based in clinical settings that focus on changes in agent characteristics as a function of treatment could be reviewed by IDM.
  
  
• With the Endocrinology, Metabolism, Nutrition and Reproductive Sciences [EMNR] IRG: Studies that focus primarily on maternal nutrition, pregnancy outcomes and neonatology and studies of the metabolic consequences and nutritional evaluation of non-behavioral dietary interventions may be reviewed by the EMNR IRG, while epidemiologic studies of these outcomes/conditions could be reviewed in IRAP. Studies that utilize methodologies focusing on regulation at cellular and molecular level and nutritional or hormonal studies in animals may be reviewed in the EMNR IRG, while nutritional or hormonal studies of humans with substantial laboratory components are appropriate for IRAP when the primary thrust is epidemiologic and laboratory data are to be collected by methods that are largely already developed.
  
  
• With the Respiratory Sciences [RES] IRG: Animal studies and studies on the physiologic effect of inhaled particles and gases, asthma/allergy, and cystic fibrosis may be reviewed by the RES IRG, while epidemiologic studies of asthma/allergy and non-malignant pulmonary conditions could be reviewed by IRAP.