UCLA Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) Program

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In this application, the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) is partnering with the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine (UCSF), the University of Colorado at Denver (UCD), and the University of Washington (UW) to seek continued support for a formal 8-12 week program of training in aging research for medical students to: Expose them, early in their training, to ongoing research with mentorship from successful researchers in aging Encourage them to consider pursuing, and to plan for over time, a research career in areas important to the NIA Increase the pool of physician scientists engaged in areas of research important to the NIA. With UCLA as the core site, our four institutions are particularly well suited to reach these objectives. All four of our programs have: 1) been funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation as Centers of Excellence; and 2) outstanding faculty who conduct NIA-funded research in aging; and 3) experience training others to conduct aging research. To meet the objectives outlined above, we will rely on methods we have been using successfully over the past 15 years to identify research mentors, match medical students with these mentors, monitor students' research progress, facilitate this progress when needed, teach essential general research skills (including the responsible conduct of research), and provide a forum for presentation of students' research and discussion of ideas. In addition, we will offer instruction on common topics in clinical geriatrics, career options in aging, and the opportunity to observe and to participate in the clinical care of geriatric patients in a variety of settings. By accomplishing the aims outlined in this proposal, this program will encourage and support medical students' interest in aging research and geriatrics, and to develop a new cadre of physician scientists who will be able to address key issues related to the research priorities of the NIA. This program will also aim to enhance the research programs in aging at the participating institutions and to foster collaboration in medical student research training in aging among UCLA, UCSF, UCD and UW.