Diabetes Research Training Program

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT There is an ongoing and urgent need to devise better approaches to prevent, treat, and ultimately reverse diabetes, which requires constant training of highly qualified cohorts of investigators. The Diabetes Research Training Program at the University of Iowa is mentoring and launching the next generation of investigators who will address this critical need by focusing their scientific efforts on diabetes. We seek, in this competing renewal, ongoing support for 6 postdoctoral positions. Both physician and PhD scientists will be trained and most will be appointed to the program for 2 years. There are no other diabetes research training opportunities in the state. The program is built on the exceptional strength and depth of the University of Iowa Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center (FOEDRC), which is driving innovative strategies aimed at further understanding the pathophysiology of diabetes and its complications and at devising novel preventative and curative strategies. Training in basic and clinical scientific investigation will be augmented by a core curriculum in diabetes, metabolism, grant writing, and research ethics. Trainees involved in clinical and/or translational diabetes research will enroll and complete a Master of Science in Translational Biomedicine. All trainees will receive tailored career mentoring to ensure a successful transition to their next career stage. Training will be underpinned by synergistic scientific collaborations across multiple disciplines of relevance to diabetes research, as embodied by the Center. Mentored research opportunities available in the Program span basic and mechanistic investigation across a broad range of model organisms to translational and epidemiologic studies in humans. Program mentors comprise 44 diverse and interactive faculty with vigorous diabetes research programs, stable extramural funding, and robust training records. They span 5 colleges, 12 departments and 8 clinical divisions. Training will leverage existing synergies between collaborating investigative teams. Recruitment of outstanding trainees will be secured by the broad reach of the FOEDRC. Qualified physician scientist trainees will be recruited from the Physician Scientist Training Pathway and from clinical fellowship training programs in Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Pediatrics. PhD scientist trainees will be selected from national pools recruited into Program mentors’ labs. The training program will be administered through the FOEDRC, and will be overseen by an executive committee comprising 2 (multi) principal investigators and 5 co-directors, all of whom are seasoned investigators with uncompromising commitment to mentoring trainees.