Training in Translational Research of Skin Diseases

This is a resubmission of a renewal application for a highly successful training grant funded for 35 years from the Department of Dermatology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (UCAMC). This program began as an Immunodermatology training vehicle but has greatly changed in the past 13 years as the research focus in this Department has broadened. The remarkable expansion of the research program in the Department of Dermatology at UCAMC provided a perfect opportunity to restructure the scope and focus of this training grant which initially occurred in the renewal application in 2014. To better reflect the breadth of our training program, we have changed the title of our resubmission to the following: “Training in Translational Research of Skin Diseases.” Dennis Roop and David Norris will continue to serve as Co-Directors and lead an impressive multidisciplinary team of trainers and mentors, 15 of 26 of the current training faculty are new. Several new developments in the Department of Dermatology and the Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine have influenced the focus and organization of this renewal application, including the following: 1) the opening of the Gates Biomanufacturing Facility (GBF), a state-of-the-art cGMP manufacturing facility translating innovative research discoveries into safe and effective cell therapy and protein biologic products for human clinical trials; 2) establishment of the EB iPS Cell Consortium, comprised of Colorado, Stanford and Columbia universities, to fight the rare and debilitating genetic skin blistering disease Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB); and 3) the establishment of a new Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) Center of Excellence on the UCAMC. Historically, this has been a highly successful training grant, preparing clinical scientists for academic careers, stimulating extensive research collaborations between scientists in Dermatology and other departments, and supporting a highly productive research program in the Department of Dermatology. Of the 13 trainees who have been supported by this T32 during the last funding period (2015 to present), 10 are still in training, 1 is completing a residency in Dermatology and 2 have taken positions in industry. This training grant will support 2 predoctoral and 4 postdoctoral training positions per year. Research training in preceptor’s labs will be supplemented with a substantial program of enrichment including research seminars, research in progress, lectures on relevant topics, and training in ethics. Unique training opportunities for our T32 trainees include: 1) Training in the Manufacturing of Cells and Biologics for Clinical Use; 2) Workshops on “Protection of Intellectual Property and Strategies for Commercialization”; and 3) Lectures on “Introduction to Bioinformatic Tools for Analyzing Next Generation Sequencing Data”. Recruitment of candidates for this program will be managed by a well-organized administrative structure and will include a robust plan to attract underrepresented minorities and enhance diversity of this training program.