Training in Cell Signaling and Lung Pathobiology

描述(申请人提供)：本次续签申请请求继续支持设在南阿拉巴马大学医学院肺生物学中心的“细胞信号和肺部病理生物学”博士前/短期培训项目。随着我们培训计划的博士前部分在第一轮资助(2004-2009年)中逐渐成熟，我们在第二轮(2009-2014年)增加了短期培训，以支持夏季研究经验。鉴于我们在培训方面取得的成功，在此次续签申请中，我们请求继续支持短期暑期研究的博士前实习生(6个名额)和医学生实习生(4个名额)。培训的研究领域包括：肺血管收缩和血管重塑在肺动脉高压中的机制，血管和气道平滑肌生物学，肺内皮屏障功能的调节，急性肺损伤，线粒体功能和氧化应激信号，以及离子通道参与气道上皮和血管内皮功能。我们的项目仍然是美国南部仅有的三个提供肺部研究博士前培训的项目之一，将由Mary Townsley博士和Troy Stevens博士共同指导，并与内部咨询委员会协商，并由杰出的外部顾问进行年度审查。培训计划的总体结构是基于NIH和其他国家科学领导小组对广泛的、跨学科的培训的强烈重视。我们博士前培训计划的基础设施是由基础医学博士计划中的跨学科核心课程提供的。博士前实习生将由T32资助2-3年。这些受训人员致力于肺部生物学研究，从项目教员中挑选导师，并完成信号、生物统计学/实验设计和肺部生物学/病理生物学方面的严格教学高级课程。除了正式的学术课程外，博士前实习生还将参加研讨会和正在进行的期刊俱乐部，以及由肺生物中心组织的杰出职业生存技能培训。短期实习生参加一个长期的、组织良好的医学生暑期研究计划。这些受训人员将与其中一名项目教员一起完成为期10周的研究项目，重点是肺部生物学/病理生物学。暑期培训包括必修的系列研讨会。我们的培训计划得益于来自医学院五个系的25名资金充足、高度合作和全国认可的教职员工的研究和指导专业知识，这些教职员工都隶属于 肺生物学中心。我们的目标是提供一个充满活力的培训环境，为学员在学术、行业和/或政府生物医学研究场所的后续职业生涯做好准备。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This renewal application requests continued support for the predoctoral/short-term training program in "Cell signaling and lung pathobiology" based in the Center for Lung Biology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. As the predoctoral component of our training program matured through the first cycle of funding (2004-2009), we added short-term training in the second cycle (2009-2014) to support summer research experiences. Given our success with training, in this renewal application we request continued support for both predoctoral trainees (6 slots) and medical student trainees in short term summer research (4 slots). Research areas for training include mechanisms underlying pulmonary vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertension, vascular and airway smooth muscle biology, regulation of lung endothelial barrier function, acute lung injury, mitochondrial function and signaling in oxidant stress, and involvement of ion channels in airway epithelium and vascular endothelium function. Our program, which continues to be one of only three in the southern US providing predoctoral training in lung research, will be co- directed by Drs. Mary Townsley and Troy Stevens, in consultation with an Internal Advisory Committee and annual review by distinguished External Advisors. The overall construct of the training program is based upon the strong emphasis by NIH and other national science leadership groups on broad, interdisciplinary training. The infrastructure for our predoctoral training program is provided by an interdisciplinary core curriculum in the Basic Medical Sciences Ph.D. program. Predoctoral trainees will be supported by the T32 for 2-3 years. These trainees commit to the lung biology track, identify a mentor from among the program faculty and complete a rigorous didactic advanced curriculum in signaling, biostatistics/experimental design, and lung biology/pathobiology. In addition to formal academic coursework, predoctoral trainees will participate in seminars and the Research-in-Progress journal club, as well as outstanding career survival skills training organized by the Center for Lung Biology. Short-term trainees enter a long-standing well-organized summer research program for medical students. These trainees will complete a 10-week research project focused on lung biology/pathobiology with one of the program faculty. Summer training includes a required seminar series. Our training program benefits from the research and mentoring expertise of 25 well-funded, highly collaborative and nationally-recognized faculty from five departments in the College of Medicine, all affiliated with the Center for Lung Biology. Our goal is to provide a vibrant training environment that prepares trainees for subsequent careers in academic, industry and/or government biomedical research venues.