Training for Academic Hematology

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application is for competitive renewal of a PHS Institutional National Service Award at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA to prepare fellows for an academic career in Hematology. This award was initiated in July, 2002, and supports 4 fellowship slots in years 2 and 3 of Hematology/Medical Oncology training. Of 11 fellows who have entered the program, 4 are currently in training and 7 have completed their fellowship, of which 4 are on the full-time faculty at UCLA, two are in clinical trial development with industry, and one has entered clinical practice. The faculty consists of 31 academic scientists and physicians, grouped into four areas of mutual research interest, Hematopoiesis and Stem Cell Biology (Kenneth Dorshkind, PhD, Director), Leukemia (Gary Schiller, MD, Director), Lymphocyte Biology and Lymphoma (Alan Lichtenstein, MD, Director) and Hemostasis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (Victor Marder, MD, Director). The entire faculty have extramural research grant support, including 24 (77%) with NIH grants. Interaction with other training programs in complementary disciplines emphasizes our goal of interactive basic and translational research careers. A research retreat is; held each spring, during which time each mentor presents an overview of the laboratories' research interest, followed by a report of the respective fellows' progress. Formal review of the mentor's effectiveness and the fellow's progress and goals are prepared by the Steering Committee, made up of the four Focus Directors. A core curriculum is offered to all fellows, including a "Clinical Research Course", which covers subjects on research design and analysis, ethics, regulatory, issues, grant preparation and responsible conduct of research. Fellows are encouraged to obtain an advanced degree as part of the STAR program, with formal course work in appropriate departments for one or two additional years. Of the 7 fellows who have completed their program during the interval 2002 - present, 2 have obtained the Master's degree and 1 has received a PhD degree. The training of hematologists with expertise in basic, clinical and translational research is an important priority for the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and this application seeks support for the pivotal period between clinical training and an eventual career in academic hematology.