CTSA Postdoctoral T32 at Tufts University

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Project Summary The case for robust support for biomedical research training has never been stronger. During the last two years, the nation’s translational research enterprise was stress tested by a pandemic, revealing both stunning strengths and startling weaknesses. While the precise nature of future biomedical and public health challenges cannot be known, it is clear that the safety and welfare of the country depends on a robust pipeline of scientists with diverse expertise, who are well trained in core competencies across the full spectrum of clinical and translational science (CTS). It is increasingly recognized that training researchers outside of their narrow field of scientific specialization, to include a more varied set of research and professional skills—particularly those related to later translational phases—is critical to deliver on the promise to transform human health and respond to new challenges. These areas have long been signature strengths of the Tufts Clinical and Translational Science (CTS) Graduate Program, the training core of Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). Our MS/PhD program was founded in 1999 as the nation’s first clinical research program based at a school of graduate biomedical sciences and an academic medical center and we have continuously evolved to meet the changing needs of CTS training. Our success is evidenced by the productivity of our trainees, the consistently high rate of retention of graduates in research careers, and our outstanding history of training leaders in clinical research. The two principal aims of this proposal include the following: AIM 1: Train the next generation of early career researchers in critical thinking skills and rigorous methodology to meet the translational science challenges of the coming decades. We will provide rigorous training in the core knowledge expectations of CTS to clinical and biomedical research fellows with diverse interests by leveraging our new and longstanding partnerships; by building and expanding upon the history of excellence in CTS training in our MS/PhD Graduate Program; by enhancing three specialized T32 Tracks, including Predictive Analytics and Comparative Effectiveness Research (PACER); One Health; and Health Policy and Health Disparities (HPHD). AIM 2: Prepare early career researchers to be effective leaders, team members, communicators, and innovators in translational science. We will enrich the individualized mentoring and research experiences of the T32 trainees by leveraging the infrastructure of Tufts CTSI and partner institutions to provide supplemental training in stakeholder and community engagement, science communication, team science, professional development and leadership, rigor and transparency, and critical review of research; and by curating and capitalizing on experiential opportunities within the Tufts CTSI and partner institutions, with an emphasis on data science and informatics, clinical trial innovation and best practices, and entrepreneurship and innovation.