Translational Research Training in Sleep Medicine

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is a revised application of T32 HL082610, "Translational Research Training in Sleep Medicine." In response to the previous review, we have reorganized the Program directorship, added experienced biostatistician mentors, and addressed each of the reviewers' other comments. The goal of this Program is to train the future generation of clinical and basic researchers in a translational approach to Sleep Medicine. Sleep disturbances produce wide-ranging morbidities in cardiopulmonary, metabolic, and neurological systems. Despite recent scientific breakthroughs in the basic science of sleep and circadian rhythms, there are few clinically-oriented investigators trained in the translational science of Sleep Medicine. Developing a successful training program in translational Sleep Medicine requires a foundation of vigorous multidisciplinary collaborations to represent the diversity of scientific perspectives in the field. Such collaborations exist at the University of Pittsburgh. A critical mass of collaborating researchers from three schools (Medicine, Public Health, Nursing) and six Departments or Divisions within the School of Medicine (Psychiatry, Pulmonary Medicine, Renal Medicine, Neurology, Behavioral Medicine, Neuroscience) currently receive external funding for sleep research. In addition, the University has an outstanding infrastructure and academic resources in sleep research including the Clinical Neuroscience Research Center, the Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Laboratory, two field centers within the Department of Epidemiology, and a basic research laboratory specializing in animal models of sleep disorders. The Training Program's primary focus will be on post-doctoral training, with a secondary focus on mentored medical student research. The faculty and resources of the University will initially train two postdoctoral fellows per year, building to four trainees by the third year. The Program is intended primarily for M.D. scientists recruited from the fields of Pulmonary Medicine, Psychiatry, Neurology, and Internal Medicine. The core of the Training Program will be a mentored research experience that will be multidisciplinary in nature, translational in focus, grounded in a thorough understanding of sleep physiology, and structured by performance-based milestones. The Program will feature initial immersion in an eight week "basic training" course in animal and human sleep physiology, ongoing emphasis on presentation and publication of research findings, individually-prescribed coursework, and preparation of a career development award (K-series applications). The Program will include scheduled feedback and evaluation of both trainees and faculty mentors, and will be overseen by a Research Advisory Group consisting of Department Chairs and other T32 Program Directors, as well as an External Advisory Board. The medical student research experiences are designed to stimulate interest in Sleep Medicine specifically, and to address the critical "pipeline" issue facing translational research in a more general sense.