Enrichment

Abstract A fundamental goal of the Cincinnati Cooperative Center of Excellence in Hematology (CCCEH) is to facilitate scientific exchange and sharing of techniques, resources, and ideas in order to promote creativity and productivity and foster collaborations through its Enrichment Program. The premises of such a program are that (1) research progresses faster on the fertile ground of active discussion, cooperation, and partnership between investigators; and (2) the main way to secure productivity in the future is to train and nurture the next generation of researchers. The Divisions of Hematology and Experimental Hematology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital have a strong tradition in open exchange of ideas and resources within the institution and with scientists from other institutions, establishing national and international collaborations in the field of non-malignant hematology including signal transduction in hematopoiesis and erythropoiesis, bone marrow failure syndromes, sickle cell disease, and immunohematology. Within the previous NIDDK-P30 funded Cincinnati Center, the Principal Investigators in these fields of science have developed a comprehensive training and mentoring program that stimulates promising young investigators toward a research career focused on non- malignant Hematology. Continuing on this mission, our aims within the Enrichment Core of the CCCEH are: (1) to continue the active exchange of scientific progress and ideas between established investigators within our center and with other centers in the ongoing weekly Hematology Grand Rounds, and twice yearly Center Retreats to promote multidisciplinary collaborations between clinical, basic, and translational hematology researchers; (2) to establish a Hematology Scholar training program with the goal to foster an early-stage investigator as Scholar in non-malignant Hematology research; (3) to sustain and enrich educational resources within our center for postdoctoral fellows and graduate students; and (4) to support the summer training programs for undergraduate and high school students to rotate in laboratories focusing in non-malignant hematology research, with the goal to promote awareness and increase enthusiasm in young promising minds for research in the non-maligant hematology field.