NIDDK Multidisciplinary Predoctoral Training in Discovery and Translational Research

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This is a renewal application to build on multidisciplinary predoctoral training in discovery and translational research at Mayo Clinic with a focus on Digestive Diseases and Gastroenterology including the inter- related fields of Diabetes/Metabolic Disease and Kidney Disease (DDK). The overarching objective remains to develop a diverse pool of well-trained biomedical career scientists with the experience and skillsets to become leaders as the next generation of DDK researchers. Two senior and accomplished Mayo scientists with an extensive background in graduate education and mentoring will continue to co- direct this program centered upon four Mechanism-Centric Research Communities in 1) Bioengineering and Biophysical Analysis, 2) Cell-to-Cell Communication, 3) Genomic Regulation, and 4) Intracellular Signaling, with 27 interdisciplinary faculty members and $20 M in NIH funding. This core DDK faculty provides a robust infrastructure with a successful history of training career scientists in discovery-based and translational biomedical research. These laboratories offer a rich mentoring and training environment that is uniquely tailored to the individual student while also promoting collective experiences across multiple disciplines. The Specific Aims focus on fundamental aspects of reproducible and rigorous biomedical research aligned with NIDDK priorities. 1) Offer a solid foundation in hypothesis-based experimentation, research design, rigor, quantitative analysis of datasets, with objective interpretation of results. 2) Foster broad multidisciplinary understanding combined with critical independent thinking skills to identify outstanding biomedical questions and initiate new approaches to advance the field. 3) Develop effective oral and written communication skills across diverse audiences. 4) Promote ethical conduct in biomedical research and team skills that facilitate collaborative research while promoting an inclusive work environment. 5) Provide the background to identify and effectively transition into productive DDK investigators. The program encourages synergistic interactions between basic science departments and NIDDK-funded Centers in Digestive Disease, Translational PKD, and Pathobiology of the Enteric System at Mayo Clinic. Participation in national meetings and various programmatic activities, like journal clubs, seminar and works-in-progress series, career development events, annual retreat, plus Mayo-wide symposium and poster session are encouraged. These activities synergize with three related postdoctoral programs at Mayo in Digestive Diseases, Diabetes and Metabolism, and Kidney Disease, while offering a complete continuum from summer undergraduate research experiences through PhD and postdoctoral training. Requirements for completion of the PhD degree conform to those of Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, including a first author publication. With a strong pool of 198 qualified eligible graduate students, the proposal requests expanded support for 6 predoctoral trainees per year.