Training Program in Lung Sciences

Project Summary The Northwestern University Lung Sciences Training Program (NULSTP) is poised to continue training the next generation of scientists and physician-scientists to translate the rapid advances in molecular medicine to the bedside of patients with lung disease. The NULSTP offers trainees a curriculum that includes didactic coursework and provides basic and clinical translational research training, as well as supervision and guidance by an interdisciplinary group of internationally recognized scientists. In this renewal application, we capitalize on our prior success and momentum and provide training in three scientific disciplines: (1) Lung Injury, Repair, and Remodeling, (2) Lung Health and Aging, and (3) Chronic Lung Disease. The NULSTP builds upon the strengths of current training initiatives in basic sciences, translational, health outcomes, and epidemiology research and on the considerable scientific and research training experiences of the faculty participating in our training program. This training program will provide: (1) mentored research in disciplines that have the potential for high- impact discoveries; (2) outstanding research training through didactics, seminars, and comprehensive mentoring; and (3) an environment and infrastructure that fosters scholarly activity and career development toward independence. This application requests seven training positions allocated to two highly qualified, advanced predoctoral trainees and five postdoctoral trainees. Typically, this Program recruits four MD or MD- PhD candidates from the highly competitive Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine clinical fellowship program and one PhD trainee selected from the laboratories of our mentors, who have demonstrated a commitment to careers in lung biology research. Trainees will be offered intensive training in basic, translational, and clinical research in lung biology related to pulmonary medicine. The 27 mentors and 4 mentors-in-training in this Program were carefully chosen based on their track record of publications, grants, mentoring, collaboration, and interest in lung biology. The maturity of our training program is evident in the success of our trainees in the past four years, 6 have transitioned to faculty appointments, and 18 remain in training. Our trainees and faculty publish high-impact science (with an average ~3.1 publications per trainee), and our trainees were awarded 15 grants (e.g., NIH F- and K-awards and Foundation grants). Our faculty have competed successfully for NIH funding, currently holding 36 R grants, 7 U grants, 3 P01 grants, contributing to total research funding of more than 51.7 million in 2023. Thus, we have the trainee pool, leadership, advisory boards, faculty mentors, and infrastructure to build on an already rich and successful training program. The renewal of this training program will enhance our ability to support excellent trainees and provide the scientific community with well-trained physicians and scientists committed to enhancing lung biology research.