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The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) is a center within the
University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
that focuses on addressing public health preparedness and emerging infectious disease response. It was founded in 2001 by Dr. Michael Osterholm, in order to "prevent illness and death from infectious diseases through epidemiological research and rapid translation of scientific information into real-world practical applications and solutions". It is not part of the Center for Disease Control or National Institute of Health.


History

Michael Osterholm founded Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) in 2001. In 2019, the CIDR (Center for Infectious Disease Research in Seattle) was absorbed by the Seattle Children's Research Institute but the CIDRAP is not the same organization.


Primary activities


News publishing

CIDRAP's news publishing division writes news stories and maintains information on influenza, bioterrorism, and new hot topics. The CIDRAP news team, through the CIDRAP web site, provides daily news updates on emerging infectious diseases, such as pandemic influenza, bioterrorism, food safety, avian influenza, and emerging topics. Along with news articles, the site provides overviews on various infectious disease topics, as well as lists of recent selected literature for each topic. CIDRAP's daily news service has 20,000 current newsletter subscribers and over 36,000 Twitter followers.


Influenza Vaccines Roadmap

CIDRAP is leading an international collaborative effort to develop an influenza vaccines R&D roadmap (IVR), aimed at accelerating progress toward universal or broadly protective influenza vaccines, one of the most critical global public-health priorities. The IVR serves as a valuable tool to advance the development of novel vaccines that improve the breadth and durability of protection from influenza infection and severe disease. It encompasses incremental improvements in strain-specific seasonal vaccines, as well as transformational changes in vaccine technology designed to induce broad, durable protection against seasonal and pandemic influenza viruses.


Antimicrobial Stewardship Program

Antimicrobial resistance is a critical global public health issue, and antimicrobial stewardship strategies are key to curtailing the problem. CIDRAP's Antimicrobial Stewardship Project provides current, accurate, and comprehensive information on the topic and works to build an online community to address leading issues.


Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Center

CIDRAP is tracking and analyzing the rapidly evolving novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The CIDRAP COVID-19 Resource Center provides a deep well of information for public health experts, business preparedness leaders, government officials, and the public.


Resilient Drug Supply Project

The Resilient Drug Supply Project focuses on the supply chains and global disruptions for the most critical drugs for life-saving and life-sustaining treatment. Outcomes of this research will improve the healthcare supply system's ability to maintain a steady and adequate supply of critical medicines and supplies worldwide.


CIDRAP Leadership Forum

Membership in the CIDRAP Leadership Forum (CLF) connects decisionmakers to intelligence they can trust when they need it most. The CLF is a high-value, highly responsive service offered by CIDRAP that ensures businesses and organizations have rapid access to critical intelligence on emerging infectious disease threats and public health issues. Members say CLF provides insight and analysis they cannot find easily elsewhere. CLF members connect with Michael T. Osterholm, an international authority on emerging infectious diseases, and the comprehensive team of CIDRAP experts through special communications, conference calls, webinars, and special CLF events.


Past Initiatives


Ebola Vaccine Team B

Wellcome Trust The Wellcome Trust is a charitable foundation focused on health research based in London, in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1936 with legacies from the pharmaceutical magnate Henry Wellcome (founder of one of the predecessors of Glaxo ...
and CIDRAP launched the
Ebola vaccine Ebola vaccines are vaccines either approved or in development to prevent Ebola. As of 2022, there are only vaccines against the Zaire ebolavirus. The first vaccine to be approved in the United States was rVSV-ZEBOV in December 2019. It had be ...
Team B initiative in November 2014 to assist international efforts to develop in record time safe and effective vaccines against
Ebola virus disease Ebola, also known as Ebola virus disease (EVD) and Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is a viral hemorrhagic fever in humans and other primates, caused by ebolaviruses. Symptoms typically start anywhere between two days and three weeks after becom ...
. The project includes 25 distinguished leaders in public health, medicine, bioethics, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and humanitarian relief. The experts provide a fresh perspective (a Team B analysis) of issues being addressed by international collaborators in the areas of funding, research, development, vaccine efficacy and effectiveness determination, licensure, manufacturing, and vaccination strategy (distribution and administration). To date, Team B has published its findings in the following reports: *"Completing the Development of Ebola Vaccines: Current Status, Remaining Challenges, and Recommendations" *"Plotting the Course of Ebola Vaccines: Challenges and Unanswered Questions" *"Recommendations for Accelerating Development of Ebola Vaccines: Report and Analysis" *"Fast-Track Development of Ebola Vaccines: Principles and Target Product Criteria"


BioWatch

CIDRAP has served as a partner in the federal
BioWatch BioWatch is a United States federal government program to detect the release of pathogens into the air as part of a terrorist attack on major American cities. Reportedly operating in Philadelphia, New York City, Washington, DC, San Diego, Bost ...
air-monitoring program. This program is responsible for the constant monitoring for potential
bioterrorism Bioterrorism is terrorism involving the intentional release or dissemination of biological agents. These agents are bacteria, viruses, insects, fungi, and/or toxins, and may be in a naturally occurring or a human-modified form, in much the same ...
-related agents in cities throughout the United States. Through its contract with the
Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries. Its stated missions involve anti-ter ...
, CIDRAP provides support for the development of national outdoor and indoor guidance documents, a national epidemiology communications network, and a suite of related program and reference documents.


Minnesota Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (MCEIRS)

The Minnesota Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (MCEIRS), established by the
National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the lat ...
(NIH) and CIDRAP in April 2007, was one of six NIH-supported centers in the United States. The activities of the center, including research and surveillance both domestically and abroad, were focused on the detection, epidemiology, and transmission of
avian influenza Avian influenza, known informally as avian flu or bird flu, is a variety of influenza caused by viruses adapted to birds.
(AI) viruses with pandemic potential. The primary goal of MCEIRS was to enhance the understanding of how AI viruses evolve, adapt, and spread among animal and human populations. The center closed in April 2014.


Influenza training

The Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance has developed an online training portal that provides e-learning modules on topics related to avian influenza and influenza in general.


CIDRAP Comprehensive Influenza Vaccine Initiative (CCIVI)

In December 2009 a grant by the
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is an American philanthropic nonprofit organization. It was established in 1934 by Alfred P. Sloan Jr., then-president and chief executive officer of General Motors. The Sloan Foundation makes grants to suppor ...
started the CIDRAP Comprehensive Influenza Vaccine Initiative. The primary goal of CCIVI was to review all aspects of 2009-2010 H1N1 influenza vaccine preparedness and response and to review the scientific and programmatic basis for the current seasonal influenza vaccine efforts. The final report, published October 15, 2012, is a review of more than 12,000 peer-reviewed publications, documents, transcripts and notes dating back to 1936 and interviews and follow up with 88 experts in influenza vaccine research, development, and use.


Public Health Practices (PHP)

Public Health Practices (PHP) was a curated compendium of tools, strategies, and downloadables created by US health agencies and partners to prepare for and respond to the health consequences of disasters and emergencies. The project was ended in December 2014. Practitioners can still search the one-stop shop of real-world resources by hazard, strategy, partners, geography, groups being served, agency, tool, language, and key word. PHP encourages peer-to-peer exchange of practices by accepting submissions to the site, showcasing examples in theme-based email newsletters, and hosting social media channels for practitioners. Public Health Practices features: * More than 400 practices addressing a wide range of hazards * Successful coalitions and details about what made them possible * Stories on how projects were created * Communication materials in 40 languages to download or adapt * A search tool that allows users to apply filters to narrow results as needed * A simple submissions process to encourage practitioners to share their work * Peer-to-peer information exchange via social media


Notes


External links

*
Comprehensive Influenza Vaccine Initiative (CCIVI)

Public Health PracticesMinnesota Center of Excellence for Influenza Research & Surveillance (MCEIRS)
{{Authority control Public health organizations University of Minnesota