Annual Mentoring Program in PNI

描述(由申请人提供)：本R13会议提案请求在2010年6月2日至5日在爱尔兰都柏林三一学院举行的心理神经免疫研究学会(PNIRS)2010年会议上继续为25名博士前和博士后学员提供年度培训和指导计划。对对行为和神经免疫相互作用的基础科学方面及其与疾病预防和治疗的翻译相关性感兴趣的年轻科学家进行高级跨学科培训的机会在大学一级往往有限。自1999年以来，PNIRS会议得到了NIH的支持，为200多名研究员提供正式的教学指导和建设性的职业指导。主要目标是在受训者职业生涯的这一形成阶段创造教学机会并提供支持性指导，以增强他们的研究潜力和成功轨迹。与心理神经免疫学(PNI)相关的研究表明，心理因素和生活方式可以影响免疫能力，影响疾病的易感性和进展。除了与感染性疾病和自身免疫有关外，这些发现与癌症密切相关，有助于解释癌症发病率和死亡率以及生活质量的差异。PNI还为评估非传统和补充医学方法的有效性提供了独特的评估战略和结果衡量标准。基于对大脑免疫相互作用的丰富了解，PNI还为免疫系统对神经精神障碍、心理健康和衰老的潜在贡献提供了新的见解。PNIRS是代表参与这些类型的调查的许多不同科学学科的主要专业组织。该协会约有300名正式会员，其中40%处于职业生涯初期。实习生学者咨询委员会监督协会对指导计划的承诺，并确保其质量。该委员会由学会官员和会议组织者组成，并受益于每年至少10名自愿参加培训研讨会的高级教师导师。25名实习生学者(包括5名多元化实习生)的评选以公开竞赛为基础，并通过对提交的摘要、研究成果和职业前景的评估来确定。前获奖者的生产力和他们成功获得终身教职的职位充分证明了这一计划的影响。R13资助金的申请者(斯坦福大学Firdaus Dhabhar博士)和2010年都柏林会议的当地组织者(都柏林三一学院Thomas Connor博士)都是以前的培训生奖获得者，这证明了培训生计划的成功。除了接触尖端科学、全体讲座和顶尖科学家提供的研讨会外，学员还参加了教育短期课程、与高级教师的指导座谈会，以及与初级教师和NIH项目工作人员的两次研讨会，他们提供关于职业发展、拨款撰写和资助机会的建议。此外，还有午餐圆桌讨论和实习生晚宴，以促进建立持久、合作和专业的关系。这一培训和指导计划与NIH路线图的一个主要目标是一致的，即确保美国未来科学劳动力的成功创造和生产力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This R13 meeting proposal requests support to continue an annual training and mentoring program for 25 pre- and post-doctoral trainees at the 2010 meeting of the PsychoNeuroImmunology Research Society (PNIRS) to be held at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, June 2-5, 2010. Opportunities for advanced, interdisciplinary training of younger scientists interested in the basic science aspects of behavioral and neuroimmune interactions and their translational relevance for disease prevention and treatment are often limited at the university level. Since 1999, the PNIRS conference has received NIH support to provide formal didactic instruction and constructive career guidance for over 200 fellows. The primary goal is to create pedagogical opportunities and offer supportive mentoring at this formative stage in the trainee's career in order to enhance their research potential and trajectory for success. Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)-related research has shown that psychological factors and life style can impact immune competence and influence disease susceptibility and progression. In addition to the relevance for infectious illness and autoimmunity, the findings are germane to cancer and help to account for variations in cancer morbidity and mortality as well as quality of life. PNI also offers unique assessment strategies and outcome measures for evaluating the efficacy of nontraditional and complementary medicine approaches. Based on an enriched understanding of brain-immune interactions, PNI has also provided novel insights into the potential contributions of the immune system to neuropsychiatric disorders, mental health, and aging. The PNIRS is the primary professional organization representing the many diverse scientific disciplines involved in these types of inquiry. The Society has approximately 300 regular members, including 40% at the early career stage. A Trainee Scholars Advisory Committee oversees the Society's commitment to the mentoring program and ensures its quality. The committee is comprised of Society officers and meeting organizers, and benefits from at least 10 Senior Faculty Mentors who volunteer to participate in the training colloquium each year. Selection of the 25 Trainee Scholars (including 5 Diversity Trainees) is based on an open competition, and is determined by evaluation of a submitted abstract, research excellence and career promise. The impact of this program has been amply documented by the productivity of former awardees and their success in obtaining tenure-track faculty positions. A testament to the success of trainee program is the fact that the applicant of this R13 grant (Dr. Firdaus Dhabhar, Stanford University) and the local organizer of the 2010 meeting in Dublin (Dr. Thomas Connor, Trinity College Dublin) are both previous recipients of trainee awards. In addition to the exposure to cutting edge science, plenary lectures, and symposia offered by leading scientists, the trainees participate in an Educational Short Course, a mentoring colloquium with Senior Faculty, and two workshops with Junior Faculty and NIH program staff, who provide advice on career building, grant writing and funding opportunities. There are also luncheon roundtable discussions and a trainee dinner to nurture the establishment of enduring, collaborative and professional relationships. This training and mentoring program is congruent with a primary aim of the NIH roadmap, which is to ensure the successful creation and productivity of the future scientific workforce of the United States.