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

项目概要/摘要 博士Dickson是医学副教授（肺和重症监护医学）和微生物学& 密歇根大学的免疫学。他是一位医学科学家，擅长微生物组在 危重病和肺部疾病，并具有高影响力的以患者为导向的研究的既定记录。 他通过对研究学员的成功监督，展示了他在导师方面的潜力， 密歇根大学非常成功的肺与肺疾病研究项目副主任 重症监护医学奖学金计划，并担任其部门T32培训的副项目主任 多学科培训（Multidisciplinary Training in Lung Disease） 博士迪克森寻求这个K24中期职业生涯研究者奖继续他成功的研究计划， 投入大量时间指导下一代有抱负的科学家，包括医学生， 住院医师、临床和博士后研究员以及初级教员。该提案的目标是：1）支持 候选人作为导师的持续影响，2）确保课程作业的时间受到保护，以获得新的指导 和领导技能，3）并使候选人能够招募对以患者为导向的研究感兴趣的学员。 在他提出的研发计划中，迪克森博士将为每一位受训者量身定制一份指导计划 包括一对一的指导会议，研究方法的正式教育机会， 负责任地进行研究，与具有互补专业知识的同事合作， 教育承诺。每个候选人都将有一个量身定制的职业发展时间轴，包括 定期出版原创研究手稿。迪克森博士将提供指导，不仅在 方法论的专业知识，而且在科学沟通和领导的关键技能。 博士迪克森对这个项目的科学目标将把他现有的研究扩展到一个新的领域， 患者导向的重要性：微生物组在病毒性呼吸道感染中的作用。第一个目标是 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 对严重COVID-19疾病的易感性。第二个目标是确定急性流感感染 疫苗接种（在健康志愿者的对照实验中进行）改变了上呼吸道 微生物群，以及这如何解释全身免疫反应的变化。这些目标利用1）现有的 生物标本已经提供给迪克森博士，2）一个独特的对照实验人类模型的急性 流感感染，以及3）迪克森博士的广泛的研究组合特征的微生物群的作用（两者） 呼吸道和肠道）在危重病发病机制中的作用。 博士Dickson正处于职业生涯的理想阶段，可以利用K24奖项，并致力于 在以病人为导向的研究以及发展下一代的调查人员的调查生涯。

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.