Integrated Training in Engineering and Diabetes

项目概要/摘要 糖尿病是一种复杂的疾病，具有多种风险因素/原因，以及广泛的并发症。的 合理开发糖尿病的新型临床治疗方法将需要跨学科的方法来整合 多个数据源，建立预测模型，并开发新技术，共同揭示 疾病的多因素基础。这种方法在工程中得到了很好的发展，但它们 没有被广泛应用于糖尿病，部分原因是缺乏工程和生物医学方面的技术人员 research.为了培养这样一支跨学科的工作队伍，我们建议继续进行一项新的综合培训， 工程和糖尿病（ITED）计划，以吸引博士前学生和博士后研究员， 工程和定量物理科学背景的工作在接口的研究问题， 工程学和糖尿病范德比尔特大学是一个理想的位置，因为这个程序的接近 工程学院和医学院的整合和邻近，糖尿病的优秀环境 研究，以及整个范德比尔特校园长期以来的合议和合作传统。的 该计划的总体目标是为具有工程背景的人才提供最先进的 糖尿病研究的培训，这将使他们对基础生物医学研究和 相关的临床挑战。41名教师，平均分布在那些有一个 工程背景和糖尿病研究重点，将共同努力，提供各种各样的研究 工程和糖尿病研究的机会。我们的计划包括：a）一个新颖的双导师计划， 每个学员在两个实验室进行跨学科研究，B）一个有效的教学计划，提供 在紧凑的时间框架内为学员提供必要的知识基础，以促进及时完成其 学位，以及c）与其他学员，教师和访问科学家的互动。两位经验丰富的导师，一位 一名来自工程师，另一名来自糖尿病研究背景，将监督每个学员。这 跨学科方法要求学员在每个导师的实验室中花费大量时间。广泛 博士前学员的教育计划将利用工程学院的现有课程， 医学，辅以研究研讨会，每月数据俱乐部，每年ITED务虚会。博士后 具有工程学位的受训人员将被专门招募到该计划中，并将参加所有的ITED 活动我们并不期望博士后学员具有糖尿病研究的背景，因此他们将 通过说教式的指导来获得能力。支持4名博士前培训生和2名博士后培训生 是基于教师导师的研究资源要求。指导委员会， 参与的研究人员的广度将根据学员的学术和研究表现来选择学员， 以及他们作为独立调查员的承诺该计划将提供RCR培训，并积极寻求 支持残疾人和少数群体。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Diabetes is a complex disease with multiple risk factors/causes, and a broad spectrum of complications. The rational development of novel clinical treatments for diabetes will require interdisciplinary approaches to integrate multiple data sources, build predictive models, and develop new technologies that will together reveal the multifactorial underpinnings of the disease. Such approaches are well-developed in engineering, but they have not been widely applied to diabetes, in part because of a lack of people skilled in both engineering and biomedical research. To develop such an interdisciplinary workforce, we propose to continue a novel Integrated Training in Engineering and Diabetes (ITED) program to attract both predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows with engineering and quantitative physical science backgrounds to work on research problems at the interface of engineering and diabetes. Vanderbilt University is an ideal location for this program because of the close integration and proximity of the Schools of Engineering and Medicine, the outstanding environment for diabetes research, and the long-standing tradition of collegiality and collaboration across the Vanderbilt campus. The overall goal of the program is to provide talented individuals from engineering backgrounds with state-of-the-art training in diabetes research, which will give them a broad perspective of both basic biomedical research and associated clinical challenges. Forty-one faculty preceptors, equally distributed between those with an engineering background and a diabetes research focus, will work together to offer a wide variety of research opportunities in engineering and diabetes research. Our program includes: a) a novel dual mentor plan where each trainee performs interdisciplinary research in two labs, b) an efficient didactic program that provides trainees with the necessary knowledge base in a compact time-frame that promotes timely completion of their degree, and c) interactions with other trainees, faculty, and visiting scientists. Two experienced mentors, one from engineering and one from a diabetes research background, will supervise each trainee. This interdisciplinary approach requires the trainees to spend significant time in each of the mentors’ labs. A broad educational program for predoctoral trainees will leverage existing courses in the Schools of Engineering and Medicine, supplemented by research seminars, a monthly Data Club, and an annual ITED Retreat. Postdoctoral trainees with engineering degrees will be specifically recruited to this program, and will participate in all ITED activities. We do not expect the postdoctoral trainees to have a background in diabetes research, so they will achieve competency through didactic instruction. Support for 4 predoctoral trainees and 2 postdoctoral trainees is requested based on the research resources of the faculty preceptors. A Steering Committee that represents the breadth of participating investigators will select trainees based on their academic and research performance, and their promise as independent investigators. The program will provide RCR training and actively seek to support disabled individuals and those from minority groups.