CTSA Predoctoral T32 at Tufts University

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Project Summary We propose to substantially expand opportunities at the Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences for predoctoral training in clinical and translational science (CTS). Based on our recent experience integrating predoctoral students in our established postdoctoral program, we have found that early exposure to CTS training can profoundly influence the career trajectories of scholars and enrich the learning environment for all levels of trainees. The Tufts CTS Graduate Program, the training core of Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), has a long and distinguished history in training leaders in clinical research and CTS. Founded in 1999 as the nation's first clinical research program based at a school of graduate biomedical sciences and an academic medical center, we have continuously evolved to meet the changing needs of CTS training. Now we seek to build on our successful experience to increase our impact preparing the CTS workforce by preparing predoctoral trainees to meet future healthcare challenges. As the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, the case for engaging trainees in CTS research earlier in their careers has never been stronger. While we cannot fully anticipate the specific healthcare challenges that predoctoral trainees will face in the coming decades, we can discern emerging themes that will undoubtedly dominate. For example, it seems certain that future healthcare solutions will increasingly rely on real world evidence emerging from the convergence of machine learning and routinely collected big data. Also, it is abundantly clear from the COVID- 19 pandemic that interactions between humans, animals, and the environment will be a critical, perhaps existential determinant of our health and survival. Finally, while the wealthy appear to be reaching our natural lifespans, durable socioeconomic disparities are estimated to account for roughly one in three premature deaths even in highly developed countries; substantial health gains undoubtedly depend on addressing social determinants of health and other causes of disparity. These concerns, aligned with Tufts' strengths, have shaped our three specialized T32 Program Tracks: Predictive Analytics and Comparative Effectiveness Research (PACER), One Health, and Health Policy and Health Disparities (HPHD). Thus, responding to the call of NCATS to train more predoctoral scholars, we have two principal aims: AIM 1: Inspire and prepare promising professional students as Medical Research Scholars to devote their careers to clinical and translational science. We will provide pathways for professional students (e.g., MD, DVM, DMD, DPT) to augment their clinical education with Certificate, MS, or PhD-level training in CTS. AIM 2: Prepare PhD candidates as Translational Research Scholars to embark on future careers as clinical and translational scientists. We will recruit and train candidates with prior biomedical backgrounds into our CTS PhD program; and provide pathways for doctoral students in related fields (e.g., basic science, computer science, nutrition) to augment their research training with Certificate or MS-level training in CTS.