Research Training in Cardiovascular Biology at Meharry

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This is the fifth renewal of an NHLBI supported Program in Cardiovascular Biology for Institutions that Promote Diversity at Meharry Medical College (MMC). This program will provide a unique and coherent framework for specialized training that will focus the considerable strengths and diversity of multi-departmental research in cardiovascular biology at MMC and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUMC). The proposed program will support four pre-doctoral trainees per year and will involve 24 faculty members at MMC and VUMC. Four graduate programs at MMC and five departments/divisions/programs at VUMC will participate in this training. The research training will focus on cardiovascular biology using cutting edge science and approaches to elucidate mechanisms causing cardiovascular as well as hematologic diseases. The Program Directors (PDs)/Principal Investigators (PIs), Dr. Fernando Villalta, and Dr. Evangeline Motley, will provide overall direction for the program and will be assisted by the Associate Directors, Dr. LaMonica Stewart at MMC and Dr. Joey Barnett at VUMC. The PD/PIs and Associate Directors will be assisted by an Executive Committee, the Student Advisory Committee, and the External Advisory Committee. Program students will have an MMC advisor and a VUMC mentor from the core faculty who have common research interests in cardiovascular biology and will collaborate in the development of a research plan with the trainee. Each trainee will take didactic courses at VUMC and participate in research opportunities at the VUMC mentor’s lab in the summers and academic year sabbaticals. All trainees and faculty in the program will participate in a seminar series that includes presentations by program participants and visiting scientists as well as yearly retreats. The trainees will also participate in work in progress seminars and journal clubs in cardiovascular biology. The goals of the program are to attract talented African-American and other minority students in their developmental stages, to increase their training in the molecular biology, immunology, and pharmacology of cardiovascular diseases, to strengthen their publication and grantsmanship skills, and to encourage them to pursue careers in research related to the mission of the NHLBI. These goals will be enhanced by the increasing number of collaborative research and training opportunities at MMC and VUMC resulting from the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance.