NEI Institute Clinical Scientist Development Program

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is an institutional training grant proposal to educate the next generation of clinician-scientists for academic positions in Ophthalmology. For over 38 years, the Duke University Eye Center (DUEC) has been a national leader in training academic Ophthalmologists. The earliest generations of these trainees now serve in numerous leadership positions in academic medical centers across the country and abroad. They have roles as Deans, Department Chairs, and faculty members and serve as mentors for academicians. We propose to continue this tradition through an intensive program designed to provide the guidance, resources, and didactic teaching necessary to produce clinician-scientists for academic positions in Ophthalmology. We plan to select two trainees each year after their completion of a residency in Ophthalmology or Pathology for an intense 3 year educational program that will lead to independent peer-reviewed grant funding and a faculty position in an academic institution. The trainees will undergo an intensive didactic curriculum combined with a close mentorship by senior faculty at Duke University. Each trainee will receive mandatory training in areas of clinical research, genetics, statistics, scientific writing, grant preparation, ethics, and the responsible conduct of research. Each trainee will participate in significant original research and learn the essential skills to develop a successful and independent academic career. Additional aspects of the curriculum of each trainee will be tailored by the program director and lead mentor based upon the selected primary research track and his/her skills, background and career goals. We propose five primary research tracks: 1) Ophthalmic Genomics and Proteomics, 2) Ophthalmic Pathology, 3) Translational Medicine and Clinical Trials, 4) Clinic to Bench, 5) Outcomes and Health Policy. Because of an international shortage of Ophthalmic Pathologists involved in research, we will attempt to recruit Pathologists and train them for a research career to further knowledge about ocular diseases using tissue derived from patients and experimental models.