Training Program in Lung Biology and Translational Medicine

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ABSTRACT The Training Program in Lung Biology and Translational Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) provides multidisciplinary training in a stimulating and collaborative environment that nurtures the development of highly competent and innovative biomedical research scientists. This Program, initiated in 2010 to train M.D. or Ph.D. postdoctoral fellows in lung-related research, is currently in its 10th year with a current allocation of 6 trainees/year. In the first 10 years of the Program, 16/17 (94%) of trainees who have completed training have continued in research-intensive career tracks, and 14/17 (>80%) hold academic faculty positions. The multidisciplinary and translational approach to the proposed training has been highly successful, and is highlighted by a diverse and interactive group of thirty faculty mentors who hold primary appointments in eight UAB Departments (4 – clinical; 4 – research). The faculty mentors are grouped into three thematic areas based on scientific expertise: (1) immunology-microbiology; (2) cell biology-tissue repair; (3) translational sciences. Translational research in statistical genetics, computational biology, biomarker discovery, and drug discovery/development and clinical trials will facilitate the clinical translation of basic science research (groups 1 and 2). Based on the existing expertise and ongoing research efforts at UAB, training will focus on the manifestations, diagnosis, risk/prognostic stratification, mechanisms, prevention, and treatment of lung diseases, primarily acute lung injury (ALI), cystic fibrosis (CF), asthma, chronic obstructive lung diseases (COPD), and interstitial lung diseases (ILD). Training programs will be highly individualized and tailored to maximize success of each trainee with the creation of individual development plans (IDPs). In addition to the research projects that will be conducted in the mentor’s laboratory, training will encompass a highly structured didactic program that includes weekly teaching conferences in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, a “survival skills” curriculum (in collaboration with the UAB Office of Postdoctoral Education) and a Research Core Curriculum, conducted by the T32 training faculty, that includes emerging themes such as cellular plasticity, human immunology, stem cell biology, aging, drug discovery/development, bioinformatics, and personalized medicine. Formal instruction will include the responsible and ethical conduct of research and a course on rigor and reproducibility in research. This T32 Training Program is committed to “mentoring of mentors”, workforce diversity, and maintaining the current high-rate of trainee retention in academic biomedical research careers.