Advancing Craniosynostosis Treatment (ACT) Rare Diseases Consortium Career Enhancement Core

Modified Project Summary/Abstract Section ABSTRACT: CAREER ENHANCEMENT CORE Innovative clinical care for patients with syndromic craniosynostosis (CS) requires a dedicated workforce adept at bridging the gap between care delivery and clinical research. In the craniofacial field, this divide is particularly problematic due to various training and operational factors. Treatment providers, such as pediatricians, surgeons, dentists, and speech pathologists, often follow traditional training paradigms that prioritize clinical skills but do not provide the necessary research training for translational research. While craniofacial teams are inherently multidisciplinary, integrating members from different specialty training backgrounds remains a challenge. Effective engagement of clinicians across different disciplines is essential to optimize clinical research for syndromic CS. In the Career Enhancement Core, we have strategically developed solutions to provide clinical research training, team integration, professional development, and broad clinical outreach to recruit and enhance a dedicated clinical research workforce. In Aim 1, we will enhance research collaboration among new and early-stage investigators from disparate research backgrounds and clinical specialties, through workshops, ACT Hub (a virtual learning resource), coaching clinicals, and exchange ACT Pollinator to carry out inter-site observer-ships. In Aim 2, we will broaden the skills and perspectives of CS researchers, through recruitment, funding, and mentorship of ACT Fellows. In Aim 3, we will accelerate the research careers of new and early-stage investigators to enhance the clinical impact of their research, through the ACT Accelerator grant writing curriculum that encompasses workshops, mentorship, and mock study sections. The expected deliverable of the Career Enhancement Core is to recruit, develop, and promote a collaborative, dedicated, and expert national workforce optimized to carry out clinical research that improves the health of individuals with syndromic CS.