Institutional Training Program in Nutrition

PROJECT SUMMARY This application seeks renewal of a long-standing, innovative and highly successful postdoctoral training program in Nutrition that has a primary goal of training the next generation of physician scientists and PhD researchers committed to disease prevention and health promotion through careers in Nutrition. As suboptimal diets have surpassed tobacco smoking as the leading global mortality risk factor, the rationale for an outstanding nutrition research workforce is compelling. The training program, based in a major academic medical center, addresses 3 broad themes: 1) obesity and its co-morbidities; 2) nutrition, diet and eating behavior; and 3) lifecourse and development. Faculty mentors include a balanced mix of MD (10) and PhD (14) researchers representing 5 academic units in the university, and whose nationally recognized research spans basic (T1) to translational (T4) approaches. All faculty are affiliated with the NIH-supported Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, which offers excellent support for translational research and numerous training and career development programs. Trainees to date typically have been physicians (1 position) seeking a career in academic medicine and nutrition-related research and PhD’s (2 positions) pursuing postdoctoral training in one of our thematic areas. The specific objectives of the training program include achieving excellence in all aspects of the scientific literature and methods relevant to trainees’ areas of research, with an emphasis on understanding scientific rigor and reproducibility and guiding principles of ethical conduct in research; mastering basic principles of Nutrition Science; preparing and submitting research grants and manuscripts; and acquiring skills for professional development and communication to undertake a successful academic career. The program provides 2-3 yr of research training, which includes ongoing rigorous work with a primary mentor, and interaction with faculty leadership and all trainees supported by this T32 plus other pre- and postdoctoral trainees through participation in weekly Nutrition Journal Club, professional development series and Nutrition seminar series. Of recent past trainees, two-thirds have obtained grant funding, and 80% have progressed to careers in academic settings. Based on increases in the quality and number of applicants, including physicians, relative to number of available slots, we propose an additional position for the next cycle, thus projecting 2 MD and 2 PhD trainees. The training environment promotes collaborative research and fosters productive interaction between physicians and PhD researchers, a model that prepares trainees to be exceptionally well positioned to emerge as future leaders in Nutrition to address the most compelling global health challenges.