WUSTL Transdisciplinary Pre- and Postdoctoral Training Program in Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The complexities of biological, behavioral, social, and environmental risk factors for obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) necessitate team science, capable of crossing the boundaries of disciplinary-specific silos to conduct and evaluate research from a transdisciplinary approach to prevent and treat obesity and CVD across the lifespan. Efforts to facilitate greater collaboration among scientists trained across many fields and levels of training are not only valuable but also essential to solving such complex problems. Thus, we propose to continue an innovative, transdisciplinary pre- and postdoctoral training program in obesity and CVD at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL). WUSTL is an excellent research institution promoting transdisciplinary, translational research through its unique, collegial, scientific environment across campuses and departments. This program: 1) recruits and trains talented transdisciplinary pre- and postdoctoral trainees; 2) provides trainees with collaborative, transdisciplinary mentorship teams; 3) targets diversity in the future scientific workforce; and 4) provides training in the ethical and socially responsible conduct of obesity/CVD research. International authorities on obesity, Denise Wilfley, PhD (Director) and Samuel Klein, MD (Co-Director), lead the program, supported by highly- qualified, primary and co-mentors spanning 12 departments in the biomedical, cognitive and behavioral, and population health sciences. Our mentors are well-funded and have strong collaborative ties to facilitate the training of 4 pre- and 4 postdoctoral trainees each year. Combining pre- and postdoctoral trainees from diverse backgrounds (e.g., genetics, molecular cell biology, psychology, social work, public heath, and neurosciences) has created and will continue to create a uniquely dynamic training environment. The WUSTL Nutrition Obesity Research Center, Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences, Institute for Public Health, and Center for Diabetes Translation Research provide infrastructure and state-of-the-art resources to support trainees' engagement in transformative, translational science. Program evaluations completed by trainees, program administration, and collaborative mentorship teams ensure trainees achieve short- and long-term indicators of productivity positioning them for success in obtaining academic positions and independent grants. Indeed, postdoctoral graduates of the program have been highly successful in obtaining academic positions and grant funding, and in the case of our predoctoral trainees, continuing their research training in prestigious positions. The Diversity Advisory Committee informs our approach in the recruitment and retention of highly qualified trainees from diverse backgrounds. Not only is our training program innovative in its design, but using a team science approach guided by stellar mentors, our trainees are prepared to create and contribute to transdisciplinary scientific approaches that are more likely to yield innovative solutions to the complex problems of obesity and CVD than research previously conducted by individual scientists within a single disciplinary field.