Research Training in Diabetes and Endocrinology

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This proposal seeks continued support for an Institutional NRSA that provides post-doctoral research training to 4 M.D. and/or Ph.D. trainees in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism. Also requested are 6 short-term summer medical student training positions. This multi- disciplinary program involves 32 faculty preceptors in five clinical and basic science departments of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. It is an integral component of the training activities of the Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center. Its goal is to provide trainees with the knowledge and skills required for independent translational or clinical research careers. It was previously designed to train both M.D. and Ph.D. scientists in equal numbers. However, due to the stated NIH goal of increasing clinical research, we will focus our recruitment efforts on M.D.'s, M.D./Ph.D.'s and Ph.D.'s with more clinical research interests. This training may be in pre-clinical, translational, or clinical research areas, with emphasis on providing a basic science experience where appropriate. Trainees will be selected from the nationwide pool of applicants that traditionally seek training at Vanderbilt. M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. trainees usually have three to four years of relevant residency training before entering the program. Ph.D. trainees will be considered for their first post-doctoral experience. Trainees are selected on the basis of their potential as future researchers and educators. The training program utilizes a preceptor-based approach, in which the trainee develops a research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor and mentoring committee. Several criteria are used to match preceptor and trainee, including trainee interests, quality of the project proposed, amount of direct supervision that the preceptor can provide, and adequacy of the research funding and facilities available. Typical research topics include hormone action in humans as it relates to diabetes, obesity, and metabolic regulation. Research training on this T32 is at most two years, with the goal of extra training years provided by individual fellowship grants. Training is supplemented by conferences, seminars, coursework, and career guidance efforts. Trainee progress is evaluated by the oversight committee twice-yearly and the program is evaluated yearly by the same committee. In the 46 years of NIH support, the program has supported 132 post-doctoral trainees. Of those who have completed training, over 80% have embarked upon careers in academia, industry or government.