Musculoskeletal Research Training Program

描述（由申请人提供）：罗切斯特梅奥诊所的肌肉骨骼研究人员致力于美国骨骼和关节十年的目标，并减轻所有肌肉骨骼疾病患者的痛苦。1995年至2000年期间，NIAMS为骨科外科提供了132项培训资助，Mark Bolander博士担任主任。自上次培训计划以来，该机构已经招募了几名新的研究人员，并促进了肌肉骨骼主题的发展，该主题的重点是巩固这些新研究人员和现有教师的努力，他们是骨科，流行病学，骨质疏松症和骨骼和软骨生物学领域的领导者。拟议的培训计划将为现有机构基础设施内支持未来肌肉骨骼研究人员的培训提供机会。拟议培训计划的目标是：(1)继续梅奥诊所在肌肉骨骼研究培训方面的卓越和传统，为下一代独立研究人员提供杰出的研究和教育机会，这些研究人员将推进肌肉骨骼疾病的知识和治疗，并能够与基础科学和临床同事进行富有成效的互动；(2)为学生和博士后提供跨学科的教育环境，包括肌肉骨骼疾病、基础生物学、生物医学工程、生物力学和流行病学方面的培训。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Musculoskeletal researchers at Mayo Clinic Rochester are committed to the goals of the U.S. Bone and Joint Decade, and in alleviating the suffering of all those afflicted with musculoskeletal disorders. The NIAMS supported a 132 training grant in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery from 1995-2000, with Dr. Mark Bolander as the Director. Since this last training program, the institution has recruited several new investigators and fostered the development of a Musculoskeletal Theme, which is focused on consolidating the efforts of these new researchers and existing faculty who are leaders in the fields of orthopedics, epidemiology, osteoporosis, and bone and cartilage biology. The proposed training program will provide opportunities to support the training of future musculoskeletal researchers within the existing institutional infrastructure. The objectives of the proposed training program are to: (1) Continue Mayo Clinic's excellence and tradition in musculoskeletal research training by providing outstanding research and educational opportunities to the next generation of independent investigators who will advance knowledge and treatment of musculoskeletal diseases and who are capable of productive interactions with both basic science and clinical colleagues, and (2) Foster an interdisciplinary educational environment for students and postdoctoral fellows that includes training in musculoskeletal disease, basic biology, biomedical engineering, biomechanics and epidemiology. This training program in Musculoskeletal Research involves 14 training faculty at Mayo Clinic Rochester, all of whom have extramurally supported research programs. The research strengths of the training program faculty are in the areas of orthopedics, biomechanics and biomedical engineering (Amadio, An, Bishop, Kaufman, O'Driscoll, Yaszemski), clinical outcomes-based research, epidemiology, and mechanistic clinical-investigative studies for orthopedic and musculoskeletal disease (Amin, Gabriel, Kholsa, Leibson), and basic science (Ekker, Kumar, Oursler, Westendorf). Dr. Westendorf will server as director of the program. She is an experienced mentor and training program leader. She will be assisted by codirectors, Dr. Amadio and Dr. Khosla, who are clinician scientists with outstanding training records. Support is requested for eight trainees (4 postdoctoral, 2 predoctoral PhD students, and 2 short-term predoctoral students) each year for five years. Postdoctoral fellows will be recruited by individual mentors, training program advertisements, and the residency/fellowship programs. Predoctoral (PhD) trainees that will be eligible for this training program will be accepted into the Mayo Graduate School. Short-term predoctoral students will be recruited from the Mayo Medical School and other fully accredited medical schools in the United States. The training program will be integrated and enriched by a program of research seminars, grant writing workshops, journal clubs, and joint group meetings where new data are presented. The primary goals of the program are to attract exceptional young physicians and scientists into the field of musculoskeletal research and to assist their intellectual and technical development into productive and independent investigators interested in the mechanisms and treatment of musculoskeletal diseases.