Multidisciplinary Training Program in Lung Disease

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application is a competitive renewal of the present Multidisciplinary Training Program in Lung Disease (HL07749). The goal of the program is produce outstanding biomedical scientists who investigate the manifestations, mechanisms, prevention, and treatment of pulmonary disorders. The program proposes to support 12 postdoctoral fellows (M.D.s and Ph.D.s) per year. The investigative approaches available to trainees include disciplines applicable at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, whole animal and clinical population levels. The program utilizes faculty trainers from the Medical School, School of Public Health, the Life Sciences Institute, and the College of Engineering at the Universityof Michigan. Medical School faculty trainers are appointed in the Departments of Internal Medicine, Pathology, Radiology, Human Genetics and Molecular and Integrative Physiology. The School of Public Health trainers are appointed in the Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. The College of Engineering trainers are appointed in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. A close relationship between a primary mentor and a co-mentor(s) with the trainee is the core of the training experience. This laboratory experience is supplemented by a core group of lectures, formal course work, core conferences, and training in responsible research conduct, career planning, communication skills, and grant writing. Emphasis is placed on personal instruction specifically designed for individual trainees. New faculty and core lectures have been added to further solidify the disciplines of bioinformatics, genetics and nanobiology. Considerable emphasis has been placed on multidisciplinary interactions and providing opportunities to develop academic careers in areas of scientific need. Emerging areas of growth in our program include microbial pathogenesis, transplantation biology, progenitor cell biology, and multi-institutional disease-specific clinical networks for research. Postdoctoral trainees in the clinical sciences can acquire a Master's Degree from the School of Public Health. A broad range of research topics is available to trainees including chemokine biology, the pathobiology of fibrotic lung disease, host defense mechanisms, lymphocyte-macrophage interactions, epithelial cell biology, fibroblast biology, protease biology, eicosanoid biochemistry, granulocyte biology, progenitor cell biology, epidemiology, outcomes in lung disease, physician decision making, economic assessment of medical interventions, appropriate utilization of the medical technology and medical ethics. Fellows and mentors are reviewed by a committee that monitors the training and career development of fellows and promotes mentoring skills. The program has trained 5 minority trainees (all enrolled since 2004; 4 are current trainees). Eighty percent (80%) of graduates trained in the past 10 years are currently in academic or equivalent positions, indicative of the program's success.