Conducting Child Health Care Research in Vulnerable Populations

描述：这是范德比尔特大学医学院儿科的一个新的T32应用程序。我们的长期目标是为儿科医生和科学家的职业发展建立一个机构跨学科计划，他们将成为弱势群体中儿童健康研究的未来领导者。这类人群包括由于内在生物差异、疾病负担加重或经济限制、居住地和无法有效沟通等社会特征而面临不良健康后果风险的儿童。这项提议的具体目的是在实习结束时或研究金培训早期确定合格的受训人员，并向他们提供在实验室中的跨学科研究经验，由一名合格的导师提供足够的资源和空间，并随时接触独特的弱势儿童群体。为了确保长期的成功，在所有情况下，这一经验都将与范德比尔特临床调查科学硕士和公共卫生硕士项目以及在弱势群体中进行研究的应用技能实践相结合。鉴于申请者人数众多和拟议计划的优势，我们建议为三名四年级和五年级的学员提供支持，并在必要时为第三批六年级的学员提供部门资源。项目主任将利用一个由范德比尔特大学内外国家专家组成的咨询委员会，就候选人和导师的选择、选定候选人的学术进步和总体成功获得持续的建议。该提案主要集中在四个核心学科中，这四个学科代表了范德比尔特大学独特和实质性的研究优势，确定了在针对弱势人群的儿童健康研究中需要新知识的关键领域，包括药物流行病学/药物基因组学、神经发育、健康差异和疫苗学/流行病学。这项计划的启动将培养一支高素质的儿科医生-科学家队伍，他们拥有解决我国儿童目前面临的一些最重要的医疗保健问题的技能、知识和奉献精神。

DESCRIPTION: This is a new T32 application from the Department of Pediatrics at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Our long term objective is to establish an institutional interdisciplinary program for the career development of pediatric physician-scientists who will become the future leaders in child health research in vulnerable populations. Such populations include children who are at risk for adverse health outcomes due to intrinsic biologic differences, elevated burdens of disease, or social characteristics such as financial limitations, place of residence, and inability to communicate effectively. The specific aims of this proposal are to identify qualified trainees at the end of residency or early in fellowship training and to provide them with an interdisciplinary research experience in the laboratory of a qualified mentor with adequate resources and space and ready access to unique populations of vulnerable children. To ensure long term success, this experience will in all cases be integrated with the Vanderbilt Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Master of Public Health programs and an applied skills practicum in conducting research in vulnerable populations. In view of the strong applicant pool and the strengths of the proposed program, we propose support for three trainees in PGY-4 and three in PGY-5 and commit Departmental resources for a third PGY- 6 when necessary. The program directors will utilize an advisory committee composed of national experts within and external to Vanderbilt University to obtain ongoing advice with respect to candidate and mentor selection, scholarly progress of selected candidates and overall success. The proposal is broadly focused within four core disciplines that represent unique and substantial research strengths of Vanderbilt University and that define critical areas of need for new knowledge in child health research on vulnerable populations and include Pharmacoepidemiology/Pharmacogenomics, Neurodevelopment, Health Disparities, and Vaccinology/Epidemiology. Initiation of this program will permit the development of a cadre of highly-qualified pediatric physician-scientists with the skills, knowledge and dedication to solve some of the most important health care issues currently facing our nation's children.