Hematology clinical research training program

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Hematology Clinical Research Training Program (T32 HL-07439) PI: Brass, Lawrence F. PROJECT SUMMARY The Hematology Clinical Research Training Program at the University of Pennsylvania was established in 1978 and has provided basic and translational research training for 162 men and women. The program’s primary goal is to help a diverse group of individuals prepare for careers as investigators in the broadly-defined discipline of hematology and blood disorders. The faculty includes 39 trainers of all academic ranks and a plan is in place for adding or withdrawing trainers when appropriate. Up to 12 new trainees are accepted each year (8 postdocs and 4 predocs). Candidates were originally were drawn primarily from physicians enrolled in the clinical hematology training programs in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics. Since 1998 we have also supported postdoctoral trainees who are not physicians and, since 2004, predoctoral trainees, many of whom have been in Penn’s MD-PhD program. Oversight comes from our internal Oversight Committee and our External Advisory Board. The connection to the MD-PhD program takes advantage of the PI’s role as the director of that program as well. The inclusion of predoctoral students reflects our belief in the long term value of involving talented students to hematology-related research at an earlier point in their training as scientists and physician-scientists. Essential features of the program include formal and informal advising, skills workshops, attendance at local seminars and national conferences, coursework, training in the responsible conduct of research, and an annual presentation and feedback session attended by our external advisory board members. MD postdoctoral fellows have the option of enrolling in a Biomedical Graduate Studies (BGS) PhD program. Two recent fellows have done so. Outcomes. 162 trainees (including those currently appointed) have been supported by this program: 133 postdocs (69 MD, 24 MD-PhD and 40 PhD) and 29 predocs (19 in the MD-PhD program and 10 in a PhD program). Of the 131 who have completed all stages of training, at least 97 (74%) hold or have held (3 are deceased or retired) positions that we consider appropriate outcomes for alumni of this training program: 50% with full-time appointments at an academic institution, 21% employed in the biotech or pharmaceutical industries, 1% at the NIH, 1% at a research institute other than the NIH, and 2% who run transfusion services outside of academia or the NIH. Of those in academia, 76% have or had research funding from any source and 51% have or had NIH support, with HLBI being the source of support for at least half. A detailed plan for attracting and training a diverse group of men and women, monitoring their progress benchmarked with an individualized development plan, and receiving feedback from trainees, alumni and faculty is included in the application. Renewed funding is requested at the present level.