Training Program in Genome-Environment Interactions in Neonatal Disease

描述(申请人提供)：早产仍然是一个严重的健康问题，越来越多的极低出生体重儿存活下来。因此，新生儿医生面临着越来越多的婴儿患有不太了解的疾病，其中早产是一个主要的致病因素。早产可能会暴露出遗传和表观遗传对适应托儿所环境的特殊要求的易感性。需要基于现代基因分析的新见解来解决这一重要问题领域。很少有内科科学家或生物医学研究人员接受过培训，以了解未成熟宿主中基因和环境之间的复杂相互作用。拟议的新生儿教育中的基因和环境(GENE)培训计划的总体目标是为临床和基础科学研究人员提供设计、实施和分析新生儿全基因组遗传和表观遗传学研究的研究培训。该计划旨在将基本的遗传培训与基本的研究技能相结合，以满足全基因组调查的独特需求。采用双导师模式，其中遗传学或表观遗传学导师帮助受训者理解现代最先进工具的应用，而专注于新生儿生物学问题的导师指导受训者通过专门针对NICU疾病的临床或发育分析。已经组建了一个由遗传学、表观遗传学和临床/翻译研究专家组成的团队，以促进这一培训工作。这些导师与费城儿童医院、宾夕法尼亚大学、斯坦福大学和斯托克斯研究所的卓越临床设施和研究核心相结合，将增强医学博士和博士后研究员的培训经验，并使他们为成为这一新兴研究领域的专家做好准备。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Premature birth remains a significant health concern and an increasing proportion of very low birth weight infants are surviving. As a consequence, neonatologists are facing an expanding population of infants with poorly-understood diseases in whom prematurity is a major causative factor. Preterm delivery may expose genetic and epigenetic susceptibility to the extraordinary demands of adaptation to the environment of the nursery. New insights, based on modern genetic analysis are required to address this important problem area. Few physician-scientists or biomedical investigators are trained to understand the complex interplay between genes and environment in the immature host. The overall objective of the proposed Genes and Environment in Neonatal Education (GENE) Training Program is to provide research training for clinical and basic science investigators in the design, implementation and analysis of genome-wide genetic and epigenetic studies in neonates. The program is designed to integrate basic genetic training with research skills fundamental to the unique demands of genome-wide investigation. Using a two-mentor model in which a genetics or epigenetics mentor assists the trainee in understanding the application of modern state-of-the- art tools, while a mentor focused on biological problems in the neonate guides the trainee through clinical or developmental analyses specifically geared to understanding diseases in the NICU. A team of experts in genetics, epigenetics, and clinical/translational research has been assembled to facilitate this training effort. These mentors, combined with the outstanding clinical facilities and research cores of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania, the and the Stokes Research Institute will enhance the training experience of MD and PhD post-doctoral fellows and prepare them to become experts in this emerging field of research.