Mechanisms of Hypertension and Cardiovascular Diseases

This T32 Postdoctoral Training Program, Mechanisms of Hypertension and Cardiovascular Diseases, has been evolving since its inception in 1979. Additions to the training content to prepare trainees to generate novel basic, clinical and population data to devise innovative strategies to prevent and manage hypertension (HTN) and related cardiovascular disease (CVD) include these key components: addition of 15 Mentors in Training (MiTs) to the T32 Mentoring Network (13 Assistant and 2 Associate Professors); multidisciplinary training exposures via Mini Rotations (trainees learn techniques and concepts not offered within primary Mentor(s) lab; expansion of Interactive Mentoring and Training Modules (Mentorship Training, LEAD Program Cohorts, Grant/Manuscript Writing, Career Enhancement Workshops, Mental Health & Wellness). Partnerships with the UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) and the UAB University-Wide Interdisciplinary Research Centers (UWIRCs)-HTN Research Center (HRC) and Center for Research in Women’s Health (CRWH) facilitate interdisciplinary research, educational ingenuity and provide substantial resources. This Program offers a spectrum of training in the following Thematic Focus Areas: Basic Science (training in fundamental mechanisms of inflammatory vascular injury and repair and oxidative stress/free radical injury); Translational Science (translation-to-humans, testing basic science discoveries for clinical applicability); Clinical Science (research to improve knowledge and implementation of new therapies); Population Science (analysis of large-scale population-based cohort studies). Of the 41 trainees in the past 15 years (9 MD, 25 PhD, 6 MD/PhD, 1 DrPH), 30 (73%) hold academic positions (Full, Associate or Assistant Professor, Instructor/Researcher), 8 (20%) are pursuing further training and 3 pursued other positions (physician-scientists). These trainees have 161 peer-reviewed publications, 93 as first-author, many in leading journals (Circulation, Circ Res, J Biol Chem, Hypertension, J Clin Invest, PNAS USA, Science). Our 33 Faculty Mentors (24 Professors, 6 Associate Professors, 3 Assistant Professors) from 3 Schools, 9 Departments and 7 Divisions have robust and well-funded research programs. Nearly $100K in institutional support is committed to the Program. Trainees will spend 2-3 years in investigation, coursework, presentation/publication of research and career enhancement. Importantly, this is the only postdoctoral training program in Alabama, a state with a high rate of HTN and related CVD, that provides highly integrated “bench to bedside” training in basic, clinical, population and implementation research in HTN and CVD. Our overall goal is to address a shortage of scientists trained to use cutting edge approaches to problems related to hypertension and CVD, a leading cause of death and disability in the US.