Vector Control Unit, UPR Medical Sciences Campus to create graduate program in public health entomology

University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus Chancellor Myrna Quiñones Feliciano, left, and Lucy Crespo, CEO of the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust, sign an agreement to develop a graduate program in public health entomology at the Graduate School of Public Health.

By THE STAR STAFF

The Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit and the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus signed an agreement Thursday to develop a graduate program in public health entomology at the Graduate School of Public Health, with the goal of strengthening local preparedness for vector-borne diseases.

“This Memorandum of Understanding positions the [Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research] Trust and the Unit as catalysts in the development of local talent in public health entomology, aligned with our mission to promote science and research in Puerto Rico,” said Lucy Crespo, CEO of the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust, in a written statement.

The Vector Control Unit noted that the curriculum will be aligned with professional certifications recognized by specialized entities and that it will serve as an academic collaborator for graduate students at the campus. Grayson Brown, executive director of the Unit, said the approach will strengthen professionalization linked to vector surveillance and control.

He said the agreement includes the development of a professional certification and graduate courses in public health entomology, as well as internships, mentoring and hands-on experiences for students. Brown added that the collaboration seeks to promote joint research and scientific publications.

Medical Sciences Campus Chancellor Myrna Quiñones Feliciano stressed that the project “lays the foundations for the establishment of a graduate program in public health entomology” and strengthens the training of professionals capable of responding to emerging challenges in mosquito-borne diseases.

According to the Unit, the effort will allow the development of specialized talent and expand the island’s institutional capacity in the face of diseases such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya, in addition to positioning Puerto Rico as a regional benchmark in graduate training in the discipline.