Integrated Regional Training Program in Environmental Health Sciences (IRTP)

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The mission of the Integrated Regional Training Program in Environmental Health Sciences (IRTP) at Oregon State University (OSU) is to provide structured scientific, professional, and career development opportunities to train the next generation of environmental health science (EHS) researchers in toxicology, environmental chemistry, molecular biology, risk analysis, public health, and big data analytics, with an emphasis on transdisciplinary opportunities in exposure biology and co-development of knowledge. Renewal funding is requested to support eight predoctoral and two postdoctoral trainees. The pool of applicants is exceptional and competitive, and applicants are selected by the Co-Directors in consultation with the Internal Advisory Committee. The IRTP is administered by the Pacific Northwest Center for Translational Environmental Health Research (PNW EHSC), a NIEHS-funded P30 Environmental Health Sciences Center at OSU, which provides leadership and staffing support. The academic home of the IRTP is the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology at OSU, which provides curricular and other academic support for most trainees. EMT has a tripartite mission of 1) educating students in toxicological sciences; 2) conducting research on the effects of chemicals and other agents on humans and the environment; and 3) engaging the public through extension and outreach. EMT is ideally positioned to function as the academic home of the IRTP, due to the focus on creating, disseminating, and applying new knowledge to enhance the treatment and prevention of human disease and to ensure protection of environmental public health. The IRTP also cooperates with regional partners at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to provide mentors with expanded depth and breadth of expertise in aspects of translational research and data science that are not immediately available at OSU. The primary goals of the IRTP are to 1) recruit a diverse cohort of EHS trainees; 2) provide individualized transdisciplinary and experiential learning in EHS through individual development plans (IDP) for each trainee; and 3) provide networking and career development opportunities in EHS research. To this end, OSU is uniquely positioned to provide pre- and postdoctoral trainees exceptional transdisciplinary training in EHS. IDPs continue to be a foundational framework to promote the best combination of required and elective interdisciplinary training and professional development. Trainees acquire core competencies through required elements and have the flexibility to develop skills for career-specific success. Major strengths the IRTP continue to center around highly productive and collaborative training faculty, multidisciplinary educational curriculum, and the unique collaborative training environment provided by OSU, OHSU, and PNNL. The mentor cohort includes over 30 faculty, offering a wide diversity of training topics in EHS. Former trainees continue to make major contributions in the academic, public, and private sectors, demonstrating the effectiveness of the IRTP.