Training in Comparative Lung Biology and Medicine

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PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT This is a revised, competing renewal application for a highly successful Center of Comparative Respiratory Biology and Medicine (CCRBM) T32 program that has trained more than 120 pre- doctoral students and post-doctoral scholars in lung biology and medicine over the last 39 years. The objective of this pre- and post-doctoral program is to train the next generation of scientists through interdisciplinary research and coursework that addresses issues of direct relevance to the NHLBI mission. We are requesting (annually) funds for two years of support for each of 6 pre-doctoral and 3 post-doctoral trainees recruited from several UC Davis graduate programs and departments that provide disciplinary training relevant to lung health, including pharmacology, toxicology, cell and molecular biology, informatics, engineering, epidemiology, immunology and genetics. Training faculty- 35 active researchers from 12 departments- have substantial experience mentoring students. Faculty preceptors will direct research training in four primary areas: 1) Lung Immunology and the Airway Epithelium 2) Engineering and Informatics in Lung Medicine; 3) Lung Health and the Environment; 4) Translational Research and Therapeutics. Significant interactions among our training faculty members promote interdisciplinary approaches to lung research. Trainees have access to advanced technologies, such as proteomics, epi/genomics, breath metabolomics, state- of-the-art imaging, genetically modified organisms, and inhalation facilities for rodents and non- human primates. Molecular, cellular, tissue, and diverse animal models, including nonhuman primate models, complement human studies from faculty in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine and the Center for Comparative Respiratory Biology and Medicine. The training program leverages the activities and resources of multiple research centers at UC Davis to provide synergy and promote connections to disease prevention and public health; examples include the Clinical and Translational Science Center, the Environmental Health Sciences Center at UC Davis, the NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center, the California National Primate Research Center, the NIH Mouse biology program, the Genome Center, and the NIH-designated West Coast Metabolomics Center. The training program also emphasizes practical instruction in scientific writing and communication of scientific findings to peers and lay audiences through chalk talks, town halls, and national meetings. Trainees are exposed to emerging concepts, controversies, and technologies in lung health by participating in the program’s research and training conferences including the weekly CCRBM seminar series, other specialized seminar series, and the annual “Lung Day” retreat.