Mentoring and Research in Patient-Oriented Integrative Medicine

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The K24 Midcareer Investigator Award presents Dr. Chenchen Wang with an exciting opportunity to collaborate with renowned scientists at Tufts, Brown, Harvard, and Boston University Schools of Medicine to mentor new investigators who wish to contribute to patient-oriented research in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Currently Dr. Wang is Associate Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine and Director of the Tufts Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, with a strong record of research, publication, and mentoring. She is the Principal Investigator of two NIH-funded R01 projects studying comparative-effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of mind-body interventions for osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder in military populations Dr. Wang's long-term goal is to advance the science of mind-body medicine to promote health and healing. Her immediate goals are to obtain protected time to train the next generation of CAM scientists in patient- oriented research and to expand her innovative, multi-method, multidisciplinary clinical and translational research programs for chronic disabling conditions. Dr. Wang has an established track record of effectively mentoring trainees at various levels with diverse backgrounds, including clinicians from different countries and disciplines. Her CAM mentoring program, as well as her expertise on mind-body interventions, has been fully integrated into the research and teaching infrastructure of the Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Combined with outstanding resources and a long-recognized diverse training environment, these selected mentees will obtain training in rigorous scientific methodology, integrity, ethics, and grant applications necessary to stimulate high-quality, translational, and patient-oriented research with a multidisciplinary team. Building upon NCCAM-funded R21 and R01 studies, the proposed research aims to:1) Evaluate comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of mind-body interventions; 2) Elucidate neurobiological mechanisms of CAM therapies; 3) Investigate unmet needs of novel and cost-effective CAM treatments; 4) Create comprehensive interdisciplinary approaches in CAM training; 5) Develop the scientific and structural foundations for future R01 and other program applications; 6) Extend opportunities to new scientists to integrate CAM into mainstream institutions and research settings. This K24 will therefore promote multidisciplinary patient-oriented research for the next generation of investigators in order to substantially advance the science on integrative medicine and the contributions to health, health care, and well-being for all.