Summer Program in Obesity, Diabetes and Nutrition Training (SPORT)

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to inspire passion toward research in diabetes, obesity and nutrition by providing a mentored summer research experience for medical students as well as ongoing career, academic, research and clinical mentoring throughout medical school, with the ultimate goal of preparing participants for placement in competitive residency training programs leading to careers as independent physician scientists. The unique aims are to: 1) match first year medical students with outstanding faculty mentors who will maintain the mentor relationship and provide career guidance throughout students' medical school career; 2) provide structured training in the conduct of independent, hypothesis driven research; 3) improve diversity among the scientific community by recruiting students from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical research, 4) ensure the participation of women and 5) encourage medical students to enter one of several joint masters or doctoral programs at University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB). The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) is a rich academic environment, and a leading institution in diabetes, obesity and nutrition focused research and clinical care. We have assembled 50 mentors are experienced, well- funded investigators with excellent to outstanding track records of mentoring whose research covers diverse topics including epidemiology, genetics/genomics, molecular, cellular, and pathophysiological mechanisms of disease, technology, translational research, and patient-oriented clinical research. It is noteworthy that among our mentors are the Dean of the School of Medicine, E. Albert Reece, the Chairman of the Department of Medicine, Stephen N. Davis, Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition and the Director of the NORC, Alan R. Shuldiner, the Director of the Institute for Genome Sciences, Claire M. Fraser-Leggett, the Director of the Mucosal Biology Research Center and the Center for Celiac Research, Alessio Fasano, and Chairman of the Department of Surgery, Steven Bartlett. This training program expands the pipeline for the development of diabetes, obesity and nutrition researchers by providing training, mentoring, and career guidance for medical students as well as aiding the development of critical insights and philosophies necessary for successful pursuit of research careers.