Genomic Epidemiology of Malaria

Recent advances in high-throughput genome sequencing technologies are revolutionizing the way we study infectious disease in natural populations.

This course will give researchers hands-on training to apply new genomic tools and analyses to malaria epidemiology, with the goal to be able to detect, understand, and use information about natural genetic variation in the parasite, vector and host genome to control and treat disease.

The course will cover key concepts in population genetics and genome variation, current and emerging sequencing and genotyping technologies to discover genetic variation, and analysis tools for interpreting their data outputs. Concepts and technologies will be presented in the context of their application to real-world biological questions, like using genetic variation to detection and tracking of antimalarial drug resistance in the parasite, transmission efficiency in the vector, and protective immunity in the host.

Programme
Topics will include:
identifying and using population structure, haplotypes, linkage disequilibrium,signatures of selection large scale SNP genotyping platforms, methodologies, analysis genome-wide association studies and genetic linkage analysis high-throughput resequencing: analyses of genomic features and variation in populations follow up and functional studies (ie fine mapping or deep sequencing of putative disease variants; linking variation data to phenotypes, expression data) considerations for epidemiological study design.

Each topic will include lecture and practical sessions in which state-of-the-art statistical software will be applied to relevant, real datasets from ongoing studies in genomic epidemiology of malaria. Practical sessions will illustrate the ideas presented in the lectures. Wherever possible analysis software used will be open source to facilitate implementation of skills after the course. Please note this is an IT-based theoretical and analytical course, we will not be teaching technical aspects of high throughput sequencing or genotyping.

The course will also include seminars by distinguished international speakers who will present cutting-edge research in large-scale, genome-wide science applied to malaria epidemiology.

Scientific Programme Committee
Professor Dominic Kwiatkowski (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK and Oxford University, UK)
Professor Chris Newbold (Oxford University and Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, UK)
Dr Pardis Sabeti (Harvard University and Broad Institute, USA)

Cost
The course tuition fees are subsidised by The Wellcome Trust for researchers based in non-commercial institutions from anywhere in the world. This is a residential course, without exception, and there is a fee of £675 towards board and lodging for non-commercial applicants. The fee for commercial applicants is £3050.

Bursaries
Limited bursaries are available for clinical and academic applicants (50 per cent of fee) and are subject to open competition.

Applications
Applicants will be required to complete an application form containing their CV together with a 300-word outline of the relevance of the course to their research. Please note that documentation supporting their application will be required from the applicant's supervisor/head of department.

Applications can be accepted by post or email. Sponsors' supporting letters must be returned, signed, by fax or post under separate cover. NB incomplete applications will be rejected.

Bursaries for Wellcome Trust Advanced Courses
The Wellcome Trust subsidises all courses and workshops, so there are no tuition fees. The ‘course fee' for the UK courses (held at Hinxton) covers on-site accommodation and food for the duration of the course. Bursaries are available to assist with UK course fees, but not travel costs. We are committed to building scientific capacity in developing countries and are expanding the number of courses and workshops run outside of the UK (‘overseas' courses). There is no fee for these courses and bursaries are available for travel, sustenance and accommodation. Please see below for full details.

UK Courses (held at the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus in Hinxton)
A limited number of bursaries are available for each course. These are awarded by the selection committee according to merit. The bursary usually covers 50 per cent of the course fee, though in exceptional circumstances an application for the total course fee may be considered. Where there are many bursary applications, the selection committee may issue smaller amounts. We cannot assist with travel costs. All bursary requests to attend UK courses must be accompanied by a bursary application form. This must be completed and signed by your scientific sponsor (supervisor or head of department) and include justification for the bursary. Applicants will be notified of a bursary award along with their place on the course, usually within one month of the application deadline. We will reject incomplete applications. Both the application form and sponsor's letter must be received before the application deadline. The decision of the selection committee is final.

Overseas courses (held outside the UK)
A number of bursaries are available for each overseas course. These are awarded by the selection committee according to merit. There is no course fee.The bursary will cover travel, accommodation and sustenance. The maximum award for travel (in economy/second class) will be £750. All likely travel costs must be detailed in the overseas bursary application form, which must accompany all bursary requests for courses held outside of the UK. We will notify you of the chosen hotel and sustenance award if successful. The selection committee may judge that a partial award should be granted. We will reject incomplete applications. Both the application form and sponsor's letter must be received before the application deadline.