Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism Training Grant

PROJECT SUMMARY For over 40 years, the Integrated Training Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (DEM) has supported and enhanced research training in DEM for predoctoral, postdoctoral, and short term summer student trainees at the University of California, San Francisco. The predoctoral training path operates with the UCSF Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, which trains students for research careers investigating basic mechanisms of human physiology and disease, to integrate training and strengthen opportunities for graduate students interested in research careers in DEM. The training program also includes a short-term summer research program for medical students, helping to support interest in DEM-related fields early in education. Postoctoral training includes two tracks. Track 1 supports research training for physician-scientists, while Track 2 supports mentored postdoctoral research training in DEM. All postdoctoral trainees may select to focus on Basic or Clinical/Translational Research pathways. Both pathways provide a combination of didactic (seminars, lectures, journal clubs) and individually-mentored research training. The DEM T32 Program also works with the Training for Clinical Investigators programs at UCSF, including courses in Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Clinical Study Design. All predoctoral and postdoctoral DEM trainees participate in seminars and practical application on the Ethics and Responsible Conduct of Science, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Trainees work with a large, accomplished, and interactive DEM faculty drawn from multiple academic departments and Organized Research Units/Institutes across UCSF. All of the predoctoral trainees who earned PhDs in the past 15 years have continued in scientific research positions -- in postdoctoral research fellowships, academic research faculty positions, or pharmaceutical/biotech research positions. Of the postdoctoral trainees who completed their fellowships in the same period, 41% hold academic faculty positions, and 61% remain in research or research related careers. New improvements to the DEM Program include a formal Career Mentoring Program, a new summer research program for medical students, an annual retreat, increased integration with the UCSF Diabetes Center and NIH/NIDDK-supported Nutrition and Obesity Center (NORC) and further expansion to the new basic and clinical science campus at UCSF Mission Bay. Together these changes enhance the already strong DEM Training Program and will expand future opportunities in DEM for both predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees at UCSF.