Research Training Program in Metabolism, Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

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Project Summary/Abstract The problems of obesity and type 2 diabetes are some of the most common conditions affecting Americans. There is a critical need to train the next generation of MD and PhD investigators who will address these public health challenges with innovations in basic, clinical and translational sciences. We believe that the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus (UCAMC) is well positioned to provide the training needed to produce the next generation of scientists addressing these areas. We are seeking support for 6 positions (3 post-doctoral trainees to be supported for 2 years each) in the new Research Training Program in Metabolism, Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes (RTPMOD) at the UCAMC. The strength of the proposed RTPMOD lies the outstanding faculty, state of the art facilities and programs at the UCAMC and a robust pipeline of applicants. The 16 members of the Training Faculty are productive well-funded investigators many of whom are nationally recognized leaders in their fields of study who collectively have $12,710,098 in current research funding (direct costs current year). A number of affiliate and junior faculty mentors have been identified to ensure a rich training environment and a robust pipeline of future mentors for the program. The UCAMC is host to the Colorado Clinical Translational Science Institute, the Colorado Nutrition Obesity Research Center and the Anschutz Health & Wellness Center to name just a few of the resources that will support the proposed training. Over the last 10 years RTPMOD faculty have trained 93 post-doctoral fellows (current and past). Of those who completed training, 62% hold faculty positions, with 36 Assistant, 4 Associate and 2 full Professors. Over the last 5 years, we have trained 42 training grant eligible post-doctoral fellows (current and past). Of those who have completed training, 83% are currently in a research related or research intensive positions. Of the 42 training grant eligible trainees, 41% received K or equivalent (VA, ACS) awards and 14% are Co-Investigators on R level or equivalent awards. Applicants for the RTPMOD will come from a range of clinical fellowship programs at UCAMC, our new clinical Obesity Medicine Fellowship, and the Physician Scientist Training Program track within our Internal Medicine Training Program. PhD applicants will come from local and national recruitment efforts. MD and PhD applicants will be selected though a rigorous recruitment process to identify those with the greatest promise to pursue an independent research career. In addition to an intensive mentored research experience, trainees will gain formal training in metabolism, obesity and type 2 diabetes and team science. The program will be administered by an experienced Program Director supported by an Executive Committee with input from a committee to support the recruitment and retention of trainees from under-represented minorities and an independent Institutional Advisory Board. In this revised application we have addressed the concerns raised in the prior review and hope that RTPMOD will be now viewed as a program that is likely to provide outstanding training for post-doctoral fellows seeking a long term independent research career in metabolism, obesity or type 2 diabetes research.