PHD in Clinical Research

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We seek to design and implement a clinical research training program leading to a Ph.D. in Clinical Research (PhDCR) to prepare multidisciplinary translational research teams to address health disparities in diverse ethnic communities. The interdisciplinary curriculum will focus on applied biomedical ethics, cultural competence, and team building through classroom teaching, seminars, laboratory training and community-based experiential learning. Diverse faculty from the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), the School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene (SONDH), the William S. Richardson School of Law (WSRSL), the Business School, the Departments of Education, Native Hawaiian Studies, Asian Studies, Religious Studies, Philosophy, Sociology and others in the community will be invited to participate in a multidisciplinary approach to identifying and reducing barriers to health disparities research, particularly in the areas of genomics and end-of-life decision-making. In addition, we will build upon collaborative relationships with the University of California at San Francisco and other institutions to enhance the academic excellence of the program. We will encourage medical students, residents, post-doctoral fellows, Ph.D. candidates, and junior and minority faculty to enroll in the program, ensuring a diverse range of students from both basic and clinical science disciplines. By offering interdisciplinary Ph.D. curricula, we seek to increase the cadre of basic and clinical investigators committed to conducting culturally competent research that will reduce disparities and improve health outcomes among Asian, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander populations. This objective will be accomplished through the following specific aims: 1) to develop a curriculum combining applied biomedical ethics, cultural competence and team building specifically for the training of multidisciplinary translational research teams; 2) to solidify an administrative structure based in the JABSOM Dean's office to facilitate PhDCR activities; and, 3) to foster investigator development and collaboration between trainees, mentors, and instructors of the PhDCR program, ensuring continued follow-up surveillance that will help guide new graduates as they embark on promising careers in clinical research. By accomplishing these specific aims, we hope to increase the number of investigators in Hawaii whose knowledge, training and experience will enable them to work together to conduct culturally competent health disparities research for the benefit of Hawaii's diverse ethnic populations. If successful, we expect this innovative interdisciplinary approach to serve as a model for other academic programs designed to reduce barriers to conducting culturally competent research in diverse settings across the country.