Multidisciplinary Training Program in Lung Disease

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This application is a competitive renewal of the Multidisciplinary Training Program in Lung Disease (T32HL007749). This training program, continuously funded since 1993, has an excellent track record of preparing M.D. and Ph.D. scientists for successful careers in biomedical research. The program proposes to continue to support 9 postdoctoral fellows (M.D., Ph.D., and M.D.-PhD.), each for a 2-3 year training period. The rationale for this training program is that 1) respiratory disease and critical illness are tremendous causes of morbidity and mortality, 2) significant knowledge gaps have prevented the development of disease- modifying or -reversing therapies in the field, 3) the diseases of the respiratory tract and critical illness are propelled by complex processes in need of multidisciplinary approaches, and 4) the field faces a threatened pipeline of diverse investigators committed to careers studying respiratory disease and critical illness. The objective of the program is to produce outstanding biomedical scientists who investigate the manifestations, mechanisms, prevention, and treatment of lung disease and critical illness. The design of our training program includes 1) recruitment of talented and diverse candidates committed to careers in research; 2) an immersive and individualized training plan for program trainees; and 3) deliberate preparation and positioning of program graduates for successful post-award professional outcomes. All trainees participate in a directly mentored research experience, supported by a research advisory committee. Our program’s mentors and advisors are truly multidisciplinary, representing a cohesive network of faculty from across the medical school and university. Trainees all participate in a core didactic curriculum related to foundations of pathophysiology, research design, training in responsible research conduct, career planning, communication skills, and grant writing. This core curriculum is complemented by additional coursework and workshops tailored to trainees’ scientific and professional goals. Trainees have the opportunity to acquire Master's Degrees relevant to three distinct career pathways (clinical research methods, health services research, and bioinformatics). The investigative approaches available to trainees include disciplines applicable at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, organism, and clinical population levels. A broad range of research topics is available to trainees, including the pathobiology of acute and chronic lung disease, cutting-edge techniques of molecular phenotyping (genomics, transcriptomics, metagenomics, metabolomics), data science and bioinformatics, and health services research. New areas of research focus since the last renewal include 1) large animal modeling, 2) advanced imaging, 3) data science and precision medicine, 4) adaptive and platform trial design, and 5) healthcare disparities. In the past 10 years, 89% of our program graduates have attained research-intensive (73%) or research-related (16%) positions, and 68% remain in academia. During this period, graduates have attained 30 academic appointments, 15 K-equivalent (career development) awards, and 11 R-series awards.