Advanced Research Training in Immunology for Surgery Trainees (ARTIST)

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Project Summary/Abstract The Advanced Research Training in Immunology for Surgery Trainees (ARTIST) is a specialized training program that responds to the accelerating demand for expertise at the intersection of surgery and translational immunology research and the critical need to ensure a pipeline of surgeon-scientists. The long-term goal of the program is to inspire and train the next generation of surgeon-scientists who will lead immunology research focused on solutions for clinical problems relevant to tissue injury, repair, regeneration and replacement. Discoveries by these surgeon-scientists are anticipated to lead to new tools for diagnosis or prognosis of immune-mediated diseases and also to new immunotherapies. Program objectives are achieved by recruitment of outstanding trainees with innate curiosity and the aspiration to become leaders in surgery, selection of high quality interdisciplinary and collaborative NIH-funded faculty, and innovative didactics and professional development activities. Eligible trainees are competitively selected from an outstanding pool of surgery residents (postdoctoral trainees) in the Ohio State University (OSU) General Surgery residency program who have completed at least two years of clinical training. The diversity of the surgical trainee pool is a strength of the ARTIST program since the diversity of its research trainees will contribute greatly to the quality and diversity of the future biomedical research workforce. Surgical trainees work with the program director, faculty and staff to prepare for the research experience far in advance of the training period in order to optimize their research success and productivity. Each trainee dedicates a minimum of two years without clinical responsibilities to conduct mentored research, to undergo didactic training in the OSU COM Masters of Medical Science advanced degree program and to participate in professional development activities. Following completion of the research training program, trainees proceed to another two to three years of advanced clinical training. During this time they continue to publish, present at national meetings, compete for awards and participate in research and professional development activities associated with the program. With this renewal application, we are requesting funds for training four postdoctoral trainees per year for Years 1 through 5. Core requirements to earn the MMS degree include coursework in Immunology, Research Design, Biostatistics, Grant Writing, and Research Ethics. Trainees are also required to take two newly developed courses “Career Development for Surgeons” course and “Applications of Immunology in Surgery” journal club. Significant programmatic attention is directed to seamless integration of the clinical and research training programs, ensuring the quality and rigor of the curriculum, facilitating opportunities to enhance science communication skills, creation of innovative educational assessment tools, careful evaluation of individual trainee progress and collective evaluation of program outcomes.