Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research in the Microbiome and Lung Disease

项目摘要/摘要 迪克森博士是医学(肺部和重症监护医学)和微生物学及 密歇根大学的免疫学博士。他是一名内科科学家，对微生物组在 在危重疾病和肺部疾病方面，并有以患者为导向的高影响力研究的既定记录。 他通过成功地指导研究实习生，展示了他在导师方面的卓越潜力，如 密歇根大学非常成功的肺和肺研究副项目主任 重症监护医学奖学金计划，并担任其部门T32培训的副计划主任 项目(肺部疾病的多学科训练)。 迪克森博士寻求获得K24职业生涯中期研究人员奖，以继续他成功的研究计划，同时 投入大量时间指导下一代有抱负的科学家，包括医科学生， 住院医师、临床和博士后研究员以及初级教员。这项提议的目标是：1)支持 候选人作为导师的持续影响，2)确保受保护的课程时间以获得新的导师 和领导技能，3)并使应聘者有能力招募对以患者为中心的研究感兴趣的指导对象。 在他提出的研发计划中，迪克森博士将为每个学员量身定做一份指导计划 包括一对一的辅导课程，正式的研究方法教育机会和 负责任地进行研究，并与具有互补专业知识和 教育承诺。每个候选人都将有一个针对职业发展的量身定做的时间表，包括 研究原稿的定期出版。迪克森博士将提供指导，不仅是在 不仅在方法论方面的专长，而且在科学交流和领导的关键技能方面。 迪克森博士对这一项目的科学目标将把他现有的研究扩展到一个新的直接领域 以病人为中心的重要性：微生物群在病毒性呼吸道感染中的作用。第一个目标将是 确定呼吸道和肠道细菌(通过咽拭子、直肠拭子和 血液样本中可检测到的肠道细菌DNA的多样性和负担)解释了患者在 对严重的新冠肺炎病易感性。第二个目标将是确定急性流感感染如何 疫苗接种(在健康志愿者的对照实验中实施)改变了上呼吸道。 微生物区系，以及这如何解释系统免疫反应的变化。这些目标利用了1)现有的 Dickson博士已有的生物制品，2)一种独特的急性胰腺炎的对照实验人体模型 流感感染，以及3)迪克森博士描述微生物区系(两者)作用的广泛研究组合 呼吸系统和肠道)在危重疾病的发病机制中。 迪克森博士正处于他职业生涯的理想阶段，可以利用K24奖项，并深深地致力于 致力于以病人为中心的研究以及培养下一代研究人员。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Dr. Dickson is an Associate Professor in Medicine (Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine) and Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Michigan. He is a physician-scientist with expertise in the microbiome’s role in critical illness and lung disease, and has an established track record of high-impact patient-oriented research. He has demonstrated his potential to excel in mentorship via successful supervision of research trainees, as Associate Program Director for Research for the University of Michigan’s highly successful Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program, and as Associate Program Director for his Division’s T32 training program (Multidisciplinary Training in Lung Disease). Dr. Dickson seeks this K24 Mid-Career Investigator Award to continue his successful research program while dedicating significant time to mentoring the next generation of aspiring scientists, including medical students, residents, clinical and post-doctorate fellows, and junior faculty. The goals of this proposal are to 1) support the candidate’s continued impact as a mentor, 2) secure protected time for coursework to acquire new mentorship and leadership skills, 3) and equip the candidate to recruit mentees interested in patient-oriented research. In his proposed research and development plan, Dr. Dickson will tailor a mentoring plan to each trainee consisting of one-on-one mentoring sessions, formal educational opportunities in research methods and the responsible conduct of research, and collaborations with colleagues with complementary expertise and educational commitments. Each candidate will have a tailored timeline towards career advancement, including the regular publication of original research manuscripts. Dr. Dickson will provide mentorship not only in methodologic expertise but also in the critical skills of scientific communication and leadership. Dr. Dickson’s scientific aims for this project will extend his existing research into a new area of immediate patient-oriented importance: the role of the microbiome in viral respiratory infections. The first aim will be to determine if respiratory and gut bacteria (characterized via pharyngeal swabs, rectal swabs, and by the diversity and burden of gut bacterial DNA detectable in blood specimens) explains patient heterogeneity in susceptibility to severe COVID-19 disease. The second aim will be to determine how acute influenza infection and vaccination (administered in a controlled experiment of healthy volunteers) alters upper respiratory tract microbiota, and how this explains variation in systemic immune response. These aims leverage 1) existing biospecimens already available to Dr. Dickson, 2) a unique controlled experimental human model of acute influenza infection, and 3) Dr. Dickson’s broad research portfolio characterizing the role of microbiota (both respiratory and gut) in the pathogenesis of critical illness. Dr. Dickson is at an ideal stage of his career to take advantage of a K24 award, and is deeply committed to an investigative career in patient-oriented research as well as developing the next generation of investigators.