New York Consortium for Interdisciplinary Training in Kidney, Urological and Hematological Research (NYC Train KUHR)

Abstract There is an urgent need to train investigators in the related fields of kidney, urology and hematology. In this U2C/TL1 proposal we bring together expertise in research and education from four of the leading medical schools in the New York City (NYC) metropolitan region, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, to establish the “New York Consortium for Interdisciplinary Training in Kidney, Urological and Hematological Research” (NYC Train KUHR) (pronounced “NYC Train cure”). The NYC Train KUHR builds on three, well-established and successful nephrology T32 grants with over 70 years of experience at Einstein, Mount Sinai and Columbia, most recently training 8 post-docs per year at the 3 institutions and an O’Brien Center in Urology at Columbia to create an interdisciplinary approach to training pre- and postdoctoral fellows. The program brings together both private institutions (Einstein, Columbia and Mount Sinai) and the public State University of New York at Stony Brook. The training program will include over 100 preceptors from the 4 institutions, all of whom have a remarkable track record in training and research in KUH and complementary disciplines. The preceptors include MD and PhD scientists with expertise in research in KUH diseases from neonates to geriatrics. It will employ comprehensive, well-rounded and integrated educational approaches that support interdisciplinary, cross-institutional peer-to-peer networking activities to enhance education and professional development, providing the foundation for a successful career in KUH research. At its full capacity, the NYC Train KUHR program will be home to a diverse and inclusive cadre of 9 pre-doctoral and 16 post-doctoral trainees. In line with the size of this multi-institutional endeavor, the leadership of the NYC Train KUHR program will follow a multi-PD/PI structure with 8 Principal Investigators (PIs) representing all 4 institutions. The MPIs will provide experienced and cohesive leadership for both the administrative and training components of the program. The program will be organized around four cores, an Administrative Core, a Networking Core and a Professional Development Core under the U2C component, and the Training Core under the TL1 component of the award. The NYC Train KUHR will be governed by an Executive Committee comprised of the program leadership, which in conjunction with other committees, will ensure that the program achieves its overarching goal: “To train a new generation of investigators, who will recognize the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in KUH research”. This new cadre of investigators will be endowed with the scientific knowledge and skills to work across different disciplines, facilitating the development of new ideas and novel concepts that will ultimately generate the scientific discoveries needed to improve care and quality of life of people with KUH diseases.