Research Training in Pediatric Endocrinology

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 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This competitive renewal applies for continued support for the post-doctoral research training program in pediatric endocrinology and diabetes at the University of Pittsburgh and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (CHP). With the impending national shortage of skilled physician-investigators, the goal of this research training program, currently in its 20th year, is to provide cutting-edge training in cellular, molecular, physiologic, genetic, developmental, biochemical, epidemiologic, clinical and translational aspects of pediatric endocrine disorders and launch our graduates into productive academic research careers. 86% of the graduates of our fellowship training program are in full-time academic positions or are pursuing additional training. Trainees to the program are selected based on prior academic records and commitment to an academic research career with recent increase in numbers and quality of the applicants. The program entails two to three years of mentored research (basic science, clinical, or translational) beyond the first clinical year of fellowship training. The training faculty consists of dynamic funded scientists with expertise in diabetes, obesity, genetics, developmental biology, reproductive axis and nuclear hormone receptors research. The training faculty mentors are selected because of the high caliber and translational relevance of their research, their outstanding records of training M.D. and Ph.D. scientists, their long-term productivity, their success in securing extramural funding, and their interest in interdisciplinary projects. Trainees gain clinical experience under the supervision of the expert clinical faculty members of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes. During the research years, the trainees are supervised by a primary training mentor chosen by the trainee and a scholarly oversight committee (SOC) that oversees and evaluates the trainee's scientific progress and assist with career development. All trainees participate in responsible conduct of research training. Regular evaluations, didactic conferences, and formal course work provide a rigorous intellectual foundation for each trainee's scientific endeavors. The achievements of this program, its critical intellectual mass, invigoration by a new division chief and the tremendous resources at the CHP and the University of Pittsburgh make this an outstanding program to train pediatric endocrine physician-scientists, encourage their transition to K awards, and cultivate their success as independent RO1 funded investigators. Based on these numerous strengths, this research training program provides an outstanding mechanism through which contemporary physician- investigators will obtain the tools fundamental for successful and productive academic careers in translational research.