Vascular Surgery Research Training (VascTrain)

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This application is the second renewal application for the Vascular Surgery Research Training (VascTrain) T32 Program. The VascTrain program was initially established in 2010 to enhance clinically relevant basic and translational research in vascular surgery trainees and nonclinician trainees with a specific interest in the study of vascular disease and treatment. The program supports 3 training positions each year (6 total positions) with two positions designated for vascular surgery residents and the third position for a trainee from other surgical specialties or institutions or a nonMD post-doctoral fellow. The same number and distribution of positions is being requested in this renewal application. The training faculty is composed of 27 trainers from a number of Departments including Surgery, Cardiac Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, the CTSI, Critical Care Medicine, Medicine, Cell Biology, Computational Biology, Immunology, Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, and Pharmacology. The mentors have been selected for their expertise in their areas of investigation as well as for their skills in mentoring. The focus of the training is on cardiovascular disease and is designed to cover three major tracks: Vascular Biology, Inflammation, and Drug Discovery; Bioengineering, Regenerative Medicine, and Vascular Imaging; and Clinical and Translational Research related to comparative effectiveness, outcomes, vascular disease epidemiology, and health services research. While these tracks appear to be distinct, training can be customized to incorporate related elements of these areas. In the clinical research track, the trainees will obtain a master’s degree of Clinical Research that can be customize to desired area of interest. Trainees in the Vascular Biology or Bioengineering tracks are encouraged to take coursework as needed to supplement the laboratory training. Careful selection of a team of mentors that will best support the development of each trainee will be key to the success of the trainees. In the first two funding cycles, the VascTrain Program was very successful in recruiting a diverse group of trainees to the program who have demonstrated excellent productivity and retention in academic careers with a focus on vascular research. The program continues to evolve with the recruitment of new training faculty who will further enhance the training experience. The training plan will undergo changes to better develop translational skills, incorporate individually designed curriculum in Responsible Conduct in Research, and focus on unique career development skills for the MD and PhD trainees. The training curriculum has been enhanced in this renewal to include career coaching and wellness programs as well as bridging opportunities to assist in the retention of trainees in research related career pathways.