Animal Model Research for Veterinarians (AMRV)

描述（由申请人提供）：兽医博士（DVM）具有使用动物模型在比较医学领域进行生物医学研究的独特资格。不幸的是，大多数 DVM 并不从事研究职业，部分原因是缺乏研究培训机会。因此，全国范围内进行生物医学研究的具有研究背景的兽医严重短缺。我们的兽医动物模型研究 (AMRV) 计划的竞争更新提案于 2006 年首次资助，将于 2011 年 7 月到期，该计划将培训兽医成为世界一流的研究人员，并鼓励他们在培训后从事研究职业。通过利用弗吉尼亚理工大学教师导师的研究优势，AMRV项目将继续在免疫学和炎症动物模型、环境医学、病毒学和细菌学、营养和肥胖以及基因组学等领域培训兽医。我们将继续从全国所有 28 所兽医学院招生，包括塔斯基吉大学和弗吉尼亚-马里兰地区兽医学院 (VMRCVM)，这两个学院在入学人数不足的学生比例方面分别排名第一和第二。在该计划的下一个 5 年资助期内，将总共招募 6 名新的 DVM。此外，我们现有 AMRV 计划中的一名学员将在竞争更新的第一年继续其第三年的培训。我们将在该计划的第一年招募一名新学员，在第二年和第三年各招募两名新学员，在第四年招募一名新学员。第 5 年不再要求新学员。学员可以选择进入 VMRCVM 的生物医学和兽医科学 (BMVS) 硕士或博士课程，但我们将提倡攻读博士学位课程。导师的选择将基于他们对学生培训的承诺、他们的前沿研究项目以及他们获得 NIH 和其他主要资金的能力。学员在爱德华维亚整骨医学学院 (VCOM) 和新成立的弗吉尼亚理工大学卡里林医学院工作的机会将增加研究人类疾病动物模型的机会。该计划的一个独特之处是参观美国国立卫生研究院、美国农业部和华盛顿特区的其他机构，以便学员能够了解他们可以获得的研究职业机会的广度。我们已经成功管理了当前的 T32 AMRV 计划，并基本上完成了过去 5 年来我们最初提出的所有计划。因此，该 AMRV 计划的更新将为该计划中当前的学员提供连续性，并使 VMRC 能够继续帮助培训下一代兽医生物医学科学家。 公共卫生相关性：兽医拥有使用动物模型进行生物医学研究的独特资格，但由于缺乏研究培训机会，进入这一工作领域的人相对较少。这项竞争性的更新提案是为了继续我们的 NIH 资助的兽医动物模型研究 (AMRV) 计划，该计划旨在通过招收兽医攻读硕士或博士学位来纠正这种情况。该计划为他们提供使用最先进技术进行假设驱动的尖端生物医学研究的基础知识，并鼓励他们进入研究职业。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Doctors of Veterinary Medicine (DVMs) are uniquely qualified to conduct biomedical research in the field of comparative medicine using animal models. Unfortunately, the majority of DVMs do not pursue research careers, partly due to the lack of research training opportunities. Consequently, there is a critical shortage of veterinarian with research backgrounds conducting biomedical research across the nation. This competing renewal proposal for our Animal Model Research for Veterinarians (AMRV) program, which was first funded in 2006 and will expire in July 2011, will train veterinarians to become world-class researchers and will encourage them to pursue a research career after training. By taking advantage of the research strengths of faculty mentors at Virginia Tech, the AMRV program will continue to train veterinarians in areas including animal models of immunology and inflammation, environmental medicine, virology and bacteriology, nutrition and obesity, and genomics. We will continue to recruit from all 28 veterinary medicine colleges throughout the nation including Tuskegee University and the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM), which ranked 1st and 2nd, respectively, in the percentage of enrolled underrepresented students. A total of 6 new DVMs will be recruited over the next 5-year funding period of the program. In addition, one trainee in our existing AMRV program will continue his third year of training during the first year of the competing renewal. We will recruit one new trainee in year 1, two new trainees each in years 2 and 3, and one new trainee in year 4 of the program. No new trainee is requested in year 5. Trainees will have the option of entering either an MS or PhD program in Biomedical and Veterinary Science (BMVS) at VMRCVM but we will advocate for the PhD track. Mentors will be selected on the basis of their commitment to student training, their cutting-edge research programs, and their ability to secure NIH and other major funding. Opportunities for trainees to work at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) and the new Virginia Tech Carillion School of Medicine will increase opportunities for studying animal models of human diseases. A unique feature of this program will be a visit to NIH, USDA, and other agencies in the Washington, DC area so that trainees can understand the breadth of research career opportunities available to them. We have successfully administrated our current T32 AMRV program and completed essentially all that we originally proposed during the past 5 years. Thus, renewal of this AMRV program will provide continuity for the current trainees in the program and will enable VMRC to continue to help train the next generation of veterinary biomedical scientists. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Veterinarians are uniquely qualified to conduct biomedical research using animal models, but relatively few go into this field of work due to a lack of research training opportunities. This competing renewal proposal is to continue our NIH-funded Animal Model Research for Veterinarians (AMRV) program that aims to rectify this situation by enrolling veterinarians in a Master's or Ph.D. program that equips them with the fundamentals of conducting hypothesis- driven, cutting-edge biomedical research using state-of-the-art technologies and encourages them to enter into a career in research.