Training Program in Population Science of Respiratory Diseases

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This new application brings together a multidisciplinary team of investigators to train post-doctoral trainees in the population science of respiratory diseases. Biomedical research careers have become less attractive to post- doctoral trainees – a statement backed by intramural NHLBI research and by two NHLBI workshops. Our proposed Training Program in Population Science of Respiratory Disease aims to address the current deficit in respiratory epidemiologists by providing high-quality, broad-based, multidisciplinary training experiences for post-doctoral trainees that will prepare them for a faculty or other similar position at a research institution and for future independent funding. Our program will leverage our diverse faculty primarily in the Departments of Medicine, Epidemiology, Environmental Health Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Systems Biology, Pediatrics, and Genetics & Development, as well as the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Institute of Genomic Medicine, our CTSA, the Columbia Center for Children’s Environment, and our NIEHS Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan. These Departmental and Institutional resources provide a large pool of potential trainees as well as offer a wide variety of training opportunities. We have carefully structured our training program, building on the “best practices” from each faculty mentor’s experience, with an eye toward providing the highest-quality training in a rich and varied environment offered by Columbia and overseen by experienced mentors who can ensure the success of the training program and its trainees. We have organized our training program around two themes: “Core” Respiratory Epidemiology, and Methodology. Core Respiratory Epidemiology areas include: COPD & tobacco-related lung disease, asthma, environmental health, interstitial lung disease, global health, and respiratory failure. The varied methodological expertise of our faculty, including exposure assessment, genomics & precision medicine, quantitative imaging, mathematical modeling & forecasting, and clinical trials, provide opportunities for two mentors to provide a unique training experience be combining different “Core” and methodology elements. The areas of research emphasis of our faculty are wide-ranging and include the entire field of respiratory medicine and epidemiology. Importantly, our faculty lead their respective fields with many focused on innovative and high-impact areas prioritized by the NHLBI as important areas of training, including epidemiologic and prevention research, novel imaging application and image analysis methods, genomics, global health, and others. Members of our Executive Committee and Mentorship pool are drawn from each of these participating Departments, and postdoctoral trainees will be drawn largely from the Department of Medicine. Training will include the development of IDPs, supervised research, didactic coursework, attendance at seminars and workshop, grantsmanship and professional development activities. A total of 8 postdoctoral trainees will be admitted to the 2-year program.