An Immersive, Interdisciplinary Training Program for Workforce Development and Sustained Engagement in Entrepreneurship and Translational Research for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders

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Project Summary This is an entrepreneurship-focused educational program with the overarching goal of training the workforce of the future with the necessary broad knowledge base required for the successful commercialization of promising clinical and translational research that will help to address the growing public health crisis posed by Alzheimer’s Disease and AD Related Disorders (ADRD). We will be taking a national approach to this challenging area in order to engage with the most promising graduate and postdoctoral researchers from around the country, leveraging the robust NIH investment in Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers (ADRCs) and Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) programs. This R25 program will provide trainees with a keen understanding of the interdisciplinary, clinical and translational nature of research and commercialization related to ADRD, how it depends on fundamental underpinnings of both science, engineering and regulatory science, and how commercial products are developed. The knowledge base, mentorship and ecosystem supported by this R25 will help them prepare competitive SBIR/STTR grants to further their work. We have identified a robust network of commercial, regulatory and academic experts that will allow us to address our core aims: 1) Training in entrepreneurial skill development for ADRD technologies in a structured didactic curriculum that includes foundational elements, case-based learning, and personalized components tailored to their specific domain (i.e., ADRD small molecule development, biologics, digital health, etc.) leveraging the extensive resources developed at the University of Pennsylvania, including the Academic Entrepreneurship for Medical and Health Scientists textbook (of which Dr. Gooneratne is the lead editor); 2) Mentored research experience with tailored guidance to maximize stakeholder/customer discovery and product iteration and experiential learning opportunities to complement any gaps in their commercialization plans; 3) Curriculum development through innovative modification of Individual Development Plans (IDPs) to incorporate entrepreneurship; and 4) Workforce diversity enhancement through efforts to support participation of under-represented minorities (URM). Five to ten trainees will be enrolled each year, and they will have a research mentor, a business mentor and an R25 program mentor to ensure that they receive comprehensive support and guidance. Trainees will participate in the program for two years, with the first year dedicated to learning and development with the goal of submitting an initial SBIR/STTR grant application by month 15 or sooner, then the second year devoted to additional activities to support a grant resubmission or successfully initiate the funded grant. We seek ultimately to develop a community of highly trained entrepreneurs and researchers in ADRD that can engage in interdisciplinary team science with sustained engagement through an active, participatory ecosystem to serve as the nidus for meaningful advances as we confront the looming healthcare challenge posed by ADRD.