Research Training Program in Environmental Pediatrics

描述(申请人提供)：今天的儿童面临着暴露在多种环境危害中的风险--有毒化学品、社会应激源和建筑环境的危害。越来越多的证据表明，暴露在环境中会导致许多常见的儿科疾病，也可能增加成年后患病的风险。然而，尽管环境对人类健康具有潜在的重要性，但很少有儿科医生接受过研究、诊断、治疗或预防源于环境的疾病的培训，也没有几个学术卫生中心有环境儿科项目或受过指导此类项目的研究负责人的培训。国际移民组织表示，有必要在全国范围内扩大环境医学的科研队伍。为了培养下一代环境儿科学方面的内科研究人员和学术领袖，西奈山医学院寻求支持一项为期3年的驻院后跨学科研究培训计划，培训对象是经过临床培训的儿科医生。环境儿科的流行病学研究将是培训的核心主题。主要关注的疾病将是神经发育障碍；糖尿病和肥胖症；以及哮喘和过敏。我们打算为我们的研究员提供强大的方法学基础，并为他们配备一套通用的工具，他们可以应用这些工具来研究环境儿科学中的各种科学问题。研究员的遴选将是竞争性的，重点将放在招聘代表性不足的少数群体上。在第一年，研究员将接受流行病学、生物统计学、环境医学、研究设计和研究方法方面的教学培训。分子流行病学系列研讨会和赠款撰写课程将作为核心课程的补充。在第二年和第三年，重点将放在有指导的研究项目上。研究员将在儿科环境卫生专科获得环境儿科的临床经验。一名导师和1-2名额外的教职员工将指导每个研究员。每个研究员的进步将每半年进行一次评估。预期结果包括：基于原始研究的至少1-2份手稿；至少2-3份海报和/或摘要的作者身份，以便在地区或国家会议上提交；成功完成专注于环境健康的公共卫生硕士学位；在第三年制定K08或R01拨款提案；以及向独立研究员身份过渡的证据。已经成立了一个执行学院委员会和一个外部咨询委员会来指导该方案。该方案建立在自2002年以来由非卧床儿科协会在西奈山支持的儿科环境健康研究金的基础上。它链接到儿童环境健康和疾病预防研究中心；儿科环境健康专科单位；以及最近成立的国家儿童研究先锋中心。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Children today are at risk of exposure to multiple environmental hazards - toxic chemicals, social stressors and the hazards of the built environment. Evidence is mounting that exposures in the environment contribute to causation of many common pediatric diseases, and also that they may increase risk for disease in adult life. Yet despite the potential importance of the environment to human health, few pediatricians are trained to study, diagnose, treat or prevent disease of environmental origin, and few academic health centers have programs in environmental pediatrics or research leaders trained to direct such programs. The IOM states that there is national need to expand the scientific workforce in environmental medicine. To train the next generation of physician-researchers and academic leaders in environmental pediatrics, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine seeks support for a 3-year, post-residency interdisciplinary research training program targeted to clinically trained pediatricians. Epidemiological research in environmental pediatrics will be the core training theme. Diseases of principal focus will be neurodevelopmental disorders; diabetes and obesity; and asthma and allergy. We intend to provide our fellows with a robust methodological base and to equip them with a versatile set of tools that they can apply to study a wide range of scientific questions in environmental pediatrics. Selection of fellows will be competitive, and emphasis will be placed on recruitment of underrepresented minorities. In year 1, fellows will receive didactic training in epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental medicine, study design and research methodology. A seminar series in molecular epidemiology and a course on grant writing will complement the core curriculum. In years 2 and 3, emphasis will be placed on a mentored research project. Fellows will gain clinical experience in environmental pediatrics in the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit. A mentor and 1-2 additional faculty members will guide each fellow. Each fellow's progress will be evaluated semi-annually. Expected outcomes include: authorship of at least 1-2 manuscripts based on original research; authorship of at least 2- 3 posters and/or abstracts for presentation at regional or national meetings; successful completion of an MPH degree focusing on environmental health; development in year 3 of a K08 or R01 grant proposal; and evidence of transition toward independent investigator status. An Executive Faculty Committee and an External Advisory Board have been established to guide the program. This program builds on a fellowship in Pediatric Environmental Health supported at Mount Sinai since 2002 by the Ambulatory Pediatric Association. It links to a Center for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research; a Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit; and a recently established Vanguard Center for the National Children's Study.