Core--Clinical Research Skills Development

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Pediatric cardiovascular medicine faces the paradox of unprecedented scientific breakthroughs related to the basic mechanisms of cardiovascular (CV) morphogenesis and diseases and a simultaneous rapid attrition of the skilled personnel required to translate these biomedical advances into clinical care. Reversing this trend requires the coordinated recruitment of candidates into dynamic and successful research environments where there is a reasonable likelihood for long-term academic success. One critical component of this environment is a structured research educational environment where trainees acquire the skills and knowledge to successfully develop and implement research as well as successfully communicate results to the academic community. This proposed Clinical Research Skills Development Core will provide a structured training environment for academically inclined physicians who are recently trained and who wish to embark upon a career in translational research. The program consists of mentored research related to the four projects within the SCCOR application, structured courses related to clinical research methods and bioethics, and participation in ongoing interdisciplinary post-doctoral training seminars. Each trainee will have 75% F.T.E. protected for clinical research training (50% F.T.E. for research and 25% F.T.E. for coursework) with the remaining time spent on clinical duties. The SCCOR research paradigm provides a unique opportunity for talented future physician-scientists to participate in a state-of-the-art translational research related to pediatric CV disease while acquiring the skills necessary to apply this experience to a broad range of future research topics. By the end of the training program, we anticipate that each fellow will be able to demonstrate objective achievement of the training core goals as demonstrated by a comprehensive understanding of his/her research area, by a record of publication in peer-reviewed journals, by the application for peer-reviewed support from external funding agencies, and by the transition from post-doctoral fellow status to a junior faculty position along a continued, mentored academic career path.