Training in Comparative Lung Biology and Medicine

PROJECT SUMMARY The UC Davis NHLBI-funded T32 in Comparative Lung Biology and Medicine prepares predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees during a critical and formative period in their research careers. The program is an institutional resource providing structured training pathways that align with the needs of individual trainees while addressing the need to grow a lung biology and translational science workforce. The program will be led by multiple PIs Dr. Nicholas Kenyon and Dr. Elena Goncharova, who will bring their complementary expertise in research and mentoring to this T32 program. The program includes six predoctoral (six graduate students) and three postdoctoral scholar (MD, DVM, RN/PhD, and PhD) positions. Diverse trainees are selected through a highly competitive application process drawing applicants from the Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, the College of Biological Sciences, and the College of Engineering. This program has trained more than 125 scholars in lung biology and medicine over the last 44 years, and is newly invigorated by an infusion of more than 10 funded, diverse junior faculty and an enhanced curricular focus on oral and written science communication and research career skills. This pre- and post-doctoral T32 program aims to train the next generation of scientists through interdisciplinary research and coursework that address issues of direct relevance to the NHLBI mission. Faculty preceptors will direct research training in three primary areas: 1) Lung Biology, Immunology and Molecular Medicine; 2) Environmental Lung Health and Engineering; and 3) Data Sciences and Translational Research in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. The T32 provides a creative training and scientific milieu facilitating career development for trainees as independent investigators in academic, industry, or government research careers, and as members of high-level translational science teams.