Training Program in Translational Cardiovascular Science

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This application seeks renewal for Years 21-25 of the Training Program in Translational Cardiovascular Science (TPTCS) within the School of Medicine and Public Health Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The CVRC is a campus-wide interdisciplinary research center with faculty and research members from 31 departments in seven schools and colleges, providing a rich environment targeting cardiovascular disease through basic research, clinical investigation, diagnosis and therapy, and public education. The TPTCS training program uniquely creates basic research training for postdoctoral MDs and PhDs (four positions) as well as predoctoral trainees (five positions) with the goal of training scientists who will be capable of thinking and working “from molecule to bedside.” The practical immediate objectives are to attract and train clinicians in basic research, and to attract and train graduate and postdoctoral (PhD) students in clinically motivated basic science. The TPTCS aims to appoint physicians as part of their resident and fellow training to half the postdoctoral positions. One of the long-standing strengths of the program emerging from annual program evaluation is its integration of training among predoctoral students, basic science postdoctoral trainees, and clinical fellows who work side-by-side in journal clubs, in seminar series, and at the bench in laboratories. This blending and sharing of different trainee perspectives is foundational to the goals of the program and creates esprit de corps. The 27 trainers of the TPTCS have been selected from members of the CVRC for the clinical relevance of their science in the focus areas (heart failure/regenerative medicine, arrhythmias/ion channel research, and atherosclerosis/vascular biology), their training records, and the overall robustness and activity of their peer-reviewed research programs. Training takes place at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and exploits the strong institutional support and environment for such training, as well as the established working relationships between clinical and basic science departments and faculty both within the School of Medicine and Public Health and the University at large. Trainers and trainees all participate in core activities that define the program as a cohesive entity. Several innovations are introduced in this renewal, including enhanced clinical integration for the basic science trainees and greater professional development opportunities to prepare all trainees for the next stages in their careers. Appointees to the program to date are extremely strong and program outcomes have been excellent. The scientists and physician-scientists trained in this translational cardiovascular science program are in unique positions to apply basic scientific knowledge to benefit patients with cardiovascular disease, the foremost cause of mortality among Americans.