Enhancement Training for the Next Generation of Translational Ph.D. Scientists

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Project Summary/Abstract In this revision of T32-GM122741, the UNC Program in Translational Medicine requests five years of support to train basic science Ph.D. students to perform translational research on topics of clinical significance, working in multidisciplinary teams composed of scientists, physician-scientists, and clinicians, using state-of-the-art experimental approaches and patient-derived resources to address clinically-relevant needs. The UNC Program in Translational Medicine was born out of the Med-into-Grad Initiative of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and has now existed for >10 years. Over this period of time, the UNC Program in Translational Medicine has trained 121 Ph.D. students from 15 different basic science programs in the UNC School of Medicine, UNC School of Pharmacy, UNC School of Dentistry, UNC School of Public Health, and UNC College of Arts and Sciences. The UNC Program in Translational Medicine provides enhancement training to biomedical Ph.D. students leading to a Certificate in Translational Medicine which is conferred at the time of completion of the Ph.D. Trainees in the UNC Program in Translational Medicine complete required coursework related to the pathogenesis of human disease, participate in monthly programmatic activities, perform translational research, and benefit from dual mentorship (with a basic science mentor and a clinical co-mentor). The clinical co-mentors provide a tailored clinical experience for each trainee, exposing students to the practical realities of the diseases they research and identifying questions of clinical significance that can be addressed using basic science research methods and approaches. The required elements of the program complement requirements of the individual Ph.D. programs, ensuring that the time-to-completion of the degree is comparable to that of the typical Ph.D. student. Since its inception, 66 Ph.D. students have completed the requirements for the Certificate in Translational Medicine. The long-term goal of the UNC Program in Translational Medicine is to train a cadre of Ph.D. researchers with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize, appreciate, and address clinically-relevant biological problems from the perspective of basic science. We anticipate that this next generation of translational Ph.D. scientists will understand which biological problems are of greatest clinical relevance and will be positioned to apply new biological knowledge to create tools for improved human health.