Integrated Training in Engineering and Diabetes

项目摘要/摘要 糖尿病是一种具有多种危险因素/病因和多种并发症的复杂疾病。这个 合理开发糖尿病的新临床治疗方法将需要跨学科的方法来整合 多个数据源，构建预测模型，并开发新技术，这些技术将共同揭示 这种疾病的基础是多方面的。这样的方法在工程上发展得很好，但它们已经 没有广泛应用于糖尿病，部分原因是缺乏工程和生物医学方面的熟练人才 研究。为了培养这样一支跨学科的劳动力队伍，我们建议在以下领域继续开展新的综合培训 工程与糖尿病(ITED)计划，吸引博士后学生和博士后研究员 工程和定量物理背景，致力于研究问题的界面 工程学和糖尿病。范德比尔特大学是这个项目的理想地点，因为 工程学院和医学院的整合和毗邻，糖尿病的突出环境 研究，以及范德比尔特校区长期的合作与合作传统。这个 该项目的总体目标是为具有工程背景的人才提供最先进的 糖尿病研究方面的培训，这将使他们对基础生物医学研究和 相关的临床挑战。41名教职教官，平均分配给那些有 工程学背景和糖尿病研究重点，将共同提供广泛的研究 工程学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，其中 每个受训者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 受训人员在紧凑的时间范围内拥有必要的知识基础，以促进及时完成其 学位，以及c)与其他受训人员、教员和来访科学家的互动。两位经验丰富的导师，一位 一位来自工程学，一位来自糖尿病研究背景，将指导每一位学员。这 跨学科的方法要求学员在每个导师的实验室里花费大量时间。一个大女人 为博士前实习生提供的教育计划将利用工程学院和 医学，辅以研究研讨会、每月一次的数据俱乐部和一年一度的务虚会。博士后 具有工程学学位的实习生将被专门招募到这个项目中，并将参加所有 活动。我们不希望博士后学员有糖尿病研究的背景，所以他们会 通过指导性教学获得能力。支持4名博士后实习生和2名博士后实习生 是根据教职教员的研究资源要求的。一个指导委员会，代表 参与调查的人员将根据他们的学术和研究表现来选择受训人员， 以及他们作为独立调查人员的承诺。该计划将提供RCR培训，并积极寻求 支持残疾人和少数群体的残疾人。

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.