Postdoctoral Research Training in Pediatric Respiratory, Cardiovascular, and Sleep Health

Pediatric conditions such as asthma and lung health, obesity, and sleep problems remain highly prevalent and affect the health and well-being of children. Poor asthma control and complications due to obesity on cardiovascular and cardiometabolic outcomes have long-term health implications. Sleep problems, even in healthy children, are also highly prevalent, affecting children’s functioning and increasing risk for disease and poor outcomes. Key lifestyle behaviors such as dietary patterns and physical activity may contribute to variations in asthma, obesity, and sleep outcomes in children. These conditions, individually and in combination, create substantial health care burden in pediatric populations. We propose the Postdoctoral Research Training in Pediatric Respiratory, Cardiovascular, and Sleep Health Program, a multidisciplinary training program that will provide: 1) team-based research mentorship from investigators with expertise in pediatric respiratory, cardiovascular/metabolic and sleep health and related lifestyle behaviors, 2) rigorous didactic training that integrates consideration of child health outcomes in all aspects of the research process, 3) training in state-of-the-art clinical research and community focused methodologies, and 4) professional development opportunities to promote academic careers in child health research. Development of projects will emphasize the application of the NIMHD framework to explain and address the multiple domains and levels of influence that drive health outcomes in children across communities. Didactic curricula focused on innovative, multi-method and community-engaged approaches will be implemented to develop research skills to meet the needs of populations experiencing burden. In summary, the goal of our T32 Program is to prepare postdoctoral fellows with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary to conduct research with pediatric populations experiencing poor health outcomes in the targeted health conditions. Our training program aims to: 1) increase the number of MD/PhD postdoctoral trainees committed to clinical research in the pediatric chronic conditions of focus by leveraging the strengths of the current training environment, including mentored research, didactic and career development components, and 2) enroll 2 new postdoctoral fellows each year who will be equipped with a strong background in pediatric health research methodology and skills who are supported to develop impactful, rigorous research to promote pediatric health for all children.