Areas of Research
The thematic basis of ECPB is interwoven through and supported by six Integrative Research Clusters which are largely organized around two thematic research areas encompassing:
- Tropical ecology and emerging infectious diseases -
- Tropical zoonotic & vector-borne diseases
- Environmental change & emerging infectious diseases
- Invasive species, pathogens & biodiversity
- Coral diseases and coral reef ecosystem health -
- Tropical land/water linkages – coastal marine conservation and health
- Coral disease & epizootiology of marine organisms
- Marine conservation genetics & microbial diversity
Each research cluster is organized around either specific types of ecological systems, theoretical and methodological approaches, or state-of-art or novel research instrumentation and analytical methods. A number of the participating faculty conduct research in two or them. Further, many of the research perspectives, skills, methodologies and technologies are cross-cutting and require, as well as provide the opportunity for, productive collaboration among basic science faculty and facilities.
These are distributed between the University’s main campus (Manoa), the School of Medicine (Kaka’ako waterfront in Honolulu), and the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (Coconut Island, Kaneohe Bay) on the Island of O’ahu.
Integration Mechanisms
The common interdisciplinary theme of ecology, conservation, and pathogen biology is interwoven through the Integrative Research Clusters and provides the basis for integrating our graduate education and research programs. Integration mechanisms include the following:
- Each cluster requires the sharing of faculty, facilities, equipment and methods to conduct the IGERT Fellow’s dissertation research subsequent to their IGERT support.
- Each Fellow’s three Faculty Mentors will be chosen to represent
at least three of the four different disciplinary areas (ecology, evolutionary biology, conservation and pathogen biology), and two different departments, institutions and/or campuses.
- Each Fellow’s research, as it is initially proposed in their application essay and conducted throughout their Ph.D. training, will make a direct contribution to improving prospects for the health of humans, wildlife, and ecosystems – fundamentally a transdisciplinary challenge.
The research structure and this system of mentoring and advising will simultaneously provide areas of research focus, while discouraging disciplinary isolation and encouraging the sharing of ideas, expertise, facilities, equipment, and methods on all levels (across research clusters, disciplines, departments, and institutions).