Research Training in Pediatric Nephrology

 描述(由申请者提供)：这份续签申请旨在维持NIH的资金，用于培训匹兹堡大学/匹兹堡儿童医院的儿科肾病研究员，使其成为成功的临床科学家。很少有儿科肾科医生有有效的R01资助，也很少有儿科肾病科有多名NIH资助的教员。此外，几乎没有专门的儿科肾病T32培训补助金职位可供培训研究员。鉴于目前的财政困难，医学院和儿科也很难将资源用于培训研究员进行研究。总而言之，培训儿科肾科医生进行基础研究、转化性研究或临床研究的资源往往不足，导师也很少。其结果是，在研究领域取得成功的儿科肾病研究员的匮乏，严重阻碍了破译病理生理学和治疗影响儿童(以及随后影响成人)的肾脏疾病的进展。该计划的目标一直是培训儿科肾病研究员成为临床研究人员。在该计划的头四年里，我们培训了六名研究员，其中包括代表人数较少的少数人，他们都在担任学术职位，其中许多人已经(或正在计划)有重要的研究项目。我们正在寻求更新目前资助的三个PGY5或PGY6儿科肾病研究员的职位，并增加第四个职位，可用于培训医学研究员或博士后研究员。这一培训计划的独特之处在于，有五名(即将成为六名)由外部资助的儿科肾病教员(其中两名目前有资格担任导师，随着初级教员研究项目的成熟，这一比例将会增加)。这是全国最大的儿科肾脏科之一，拥有10个(很快将 医学博士和博士教师，强大的临床项目促进了研究员的招募。除了匹兹堡大学儿科肾病学部外，还有几位潜在的导师在NIH的资助方面有重要的记录。此外，匹兹堡大学在国家糖尿病、消化和肾脏疾病研究所(NIDDK)颁发的NIH奖项中跻身前五名。该项目中被推荐的教师导师在指导博士后实习生方面也有很好的记录。研究领域非常多样化，包括专注于基础、翻译和/或临床研究的导师。环境也非常有利，包括课程作业和研究员的选修学位(例如，基础研究的生物医学基础课程和临床研究的证书，以及临床研究、公共卫生和临床/翻译研究的生物伦理学硕士)。培训方案还非常注重增加受训人员的多样性，以及关于负责任的研究行为的教育。总而言之，广泛的研究机会、新兴的培训记录和出色的环境使该机构成为培养儿科肾病研究员成为临床科学家的绝佳场所。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This renewal application seeks to sustain NIH funding to train pediatric nephrology fellows at the University of Pittsburgh/Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC to become successful clinician scientists. Few pediatric nephrologists have active R01 grants and few Pediatric Nephrology Divisions have multiple NIH funded faculty. Furthermore, there are few dedicated pediatric nephrology T32 training grant positions available to train fellows. Given current financial difficulties, it has also been difficult for Medical Schols and Departments of Pediatrics to commit resources to training fellows to do research. Taken together, there are often inadequate resources and few mentors available to train pediatric nephrologists to do basic, translational, or clinical research. The resulting paucity of pediatric nephrology fellows that develop successful careers in research significantly impedes progress in deciphering pathophysiology and treatments for kidney diseases that affect children (and subsequently adults). The objective of this program has been to train pediatric nephrology fellows to become clinician researchers. Through the first four years of the program, we have trained six fellows, including an underrepresented minority, all of whom are moving in academic positions and many of whom have (or are planning to have) significant research programs. We are seeking to renew the currently funded three positions for PGY5 or PGY6 pediatric nephrology fellows and to add a fourth position that could be used for training medical fellows or PhD postdoctoral fellows. This training program is uniquely positioned in that there are five (soon to be six) externally-funded Pediatric Nephrology faculty members (two of which are currently qualified to be mentors, which will increase as junior faculty research programs mature). This is one of the largest Pediatric Nephrology divisions in the country with ten (soon to be 11) MD and PhD faculty and a robust clinical program that has enhanced fellow recruitment. There are also several potential mentors outside of the Pediatric Nephrology Division at the University of Pittsburgh that have significant track records of NIH funding. Moreover, the University of Pittsburgh ranks in the top five for NIH awards obtained from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The proposed faculty mentors in this program also have had a significant track record of mentoring post-doctoral trainees. The research areas are very diverse and include mentors focused on basic, translational, and/or clinical research. The environment is also very supportive and includes coursework and optional degrees for fellows (e.g. Fundamentals of Biomedical Science courses for basic research and Certificates in Clinical Research and Masters in Clinical Research, Public Health, and Bioethics for clinical/translational research). The training program is also very focused on increasing the diversity of trainees and on education regarding the responsible conduct of research. In summary, the breadth of the research opportunities, emerging training track record, and outstanding environment make this institution an excellent place to train pediatric nephrology fellows to become clinician scientists.