Principles in Pulmonary Research

The Washington University Program in Principles of Pulmonary Research provides multidisciplinary training for predoctoral and postdoctoral scholars committed to a career in pulmonary research. The aim of the Program is to prepare individuals for a career in academic pulmonary medicine through rigorous research training to address problems in lung biology and disease. The predoctoral portion of the Program engages PhD and MD-PhD students in the graduate school by direct connection to experts in lung biology. The postdoctoral portion of the Program enables MD and MD-PhD physicians who are training in clinical pulmonary and critical care medicine to learn state-of-the-art scientific research, in concert with PhD trainees from a basic science background. The Program funds seven postdoctoral and five predoctoral trainees for 2-3 years of support before they transition to additional career development awards. Trainees and mentors are selected to represent many interests, skills, and experiences. The Program and its trainees are closely monitored through a multi-director (PD) approach and advisory committees (Program Review, Mentoring, Internal Advisory, and External Advisory). The success of the program is driven by an individualized training approach with frequent points of contact between the MPIs, trainees, and preceptors, toward a set of trainee core competencies. Progress is monitored by bidirectional evaluations between trainees and preceptors, with input from advisory committees. Research skills are developed in one of three interdisciplinary research tracks: two basic-translational pillars (Immunology-Host Defense, and Molecular-Cell Biology) and a Clinical-Translational Sciences pillar. The clinical pillar extends these basic science strategies to human subject research. The approach provides a multidisciplinary, collaborative, and synergistic plan for research training by bringing together a group with broad expertise. For all trainee activities within this structure, there is a carefully constructed mentoring process that includes competency-based milestones for trainee presentation, publication, and grant application. To achieve these goals, predoctoral and postdoctoral training efforts are discussed at a weekly Pulmonary Research Conference. The Conference is the hub for input from an overall Program Review Committee (that includes the PDs and their advisors) and a project-specific Advisory Committee (that includes the trainee’s mentors and collaborators). Trainees also receive input via individual lab and group meetings and additional research conferences. The research-intensive experience is supplemented through graduate coursework (including a Master of Science) to build specialized skills and mandatory training in the Responsible Conduct of Research. A set of workshops and retreats stress communication skills, grantsmanship, mentoring, and teaching skills. Together, these mechanisms serve to ensure high-level multidisciplinary trainee experiences and performance in previous and present cycles of this longstanding, highly successful Program that has positioned numerous leaders in lung disease across the United States.