The Wilmer Institute Mentored Clinician Scientist Scholar Program

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Project Summary/Abstract In its renewal application, the Wilmer K12 Program seeks to continue its successful recruitment and development of new investigators in highly relevant areas of clinical and laboratory vision research. Our past track record indicates success in mentored training of young scientists who enter full-time academic research careers and compete effectively for individual and collaborative grant support. Due to our reputation for clinician—scientist training and the diversity of major research areas in vision science that are available to scholars, we have every year attracted multiple highly attractive candidates for the Wilmer K12 program. Our structured program still leaves considerable flexibility to take advantage of multiple—mentor groups for training in a combination of didactic and practical activities. The existence of a Departmental executive committee for ongoing oversight of every K awardee (K12, K08 and K23) assures that each scholar will be given updated review of their program and correction of areas that are not functioning ideally. Specific timelines and guidelines for following of each K scholar program are strictly enforced. Our progress report shows that the progression to independent research careers and R level funding for Wilmer K12 graduates is far above the national standard as published. As shown by the faculty involvement of 37 scientists, many of whom were K awardees themselves, the institutional expertise and commitment to this program is a high priority of the Wilmer Institute. The combined research grants of the K12 participating faculty comprises a total direct cost this year of over $30 million. This ensures that adequate funding is available to support the costs of mentored training that are not covered by the K awards themselves. Wilmer has produced more full time academics and Department Chairpersons than any other eye institute or department in the U.S. Furthermore, each K12/K08/K23 scholar at Wilmer benefits from a mentor team than includes not only Ophthalmology faculty, but scientists from other departments at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, the Applied Physics Laboratory, and the Bloomberg School of Public Health. These collaborations cross-fertilize both scholar training and the research environment of the Institute, and have included members of Departments such as Neuroscience, Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, Epidemiology, International Health, and Computer Science. The Executive Committee is vigilant to assure that the mentors and mentees are both fulfilling their roles, with written evaluations at regular intervals. The Executive Committee consists of experienced and diverse vision scientists, some of whom recently were in K training and others who have over many years mentored multiple K scholars. The co-Program Director, Dr. Quigley, has mentored over 50 clinician—scientists, including Department Chairs and Division Directors in more than a dozen institutions nationally and internationally. The other co-Program Director, Dr. Handa, is a distinguished clinician—scientist with continuous laboratory funding, recently the Chair of a visual sciences NIH study section, past K11 awardee, and with multiple past K mentees.The facilities of Wilmer's clinical and lab research are unsurpassed, including the 200,000 square foot Smith Building.