Laboratory Animal & Comparative Medicine Training

描述(由申请者提供)：对受过生物医学科学家培训的兽医的需求已经得到了很好的证明。我们在此请求提供资金，以支持四名DVM毕业后研究员进行为期三年的研究培训。当合格和有积极性的受训人员在有经验、多产和资金充足的科学家导师的实验室工作时，研究培训的最佳情况就存在了。这些导师传授知识、工作习惯、沟通技能和研究技能，使学员能够作为独立的比较医学科学家和多学科研究团队的贡献者取得成功。这些科学家将在使用动物模型和应用细胞、免疫学、分子、基因组或翻译方法来解决与人类健康相关的问题方面都很熟练。通过暑期奖学金计划和多种其他战略确定的有前途的学员被鼓励申请这个博士后奖学金计划。所有受训人员都将被维克森林大学研究生院录取，并攻读博士学位。学员通常会从分子和细胞病理生物学的病理学博士项目或分子医学和转化科学的多学科博士项目中选择。后一项计划由维克森林大学设立，以应对受过翻译科学培训的MD和DVM的需求增长，更具体地说，是为了参加由新的临床和翻译科学奖计划(CTSA)支持的翻译科学计划。培训教员有26人，其中19人有独立的研究项目和资金。此外，其中15人获委任为比较医学，其中11人为DVM。学员将从一群资金充裕和经验丰富的科学家和教育工作者中挑选一名导师，并获指派一名与学员的研究项目有关的副导师。助理导师是没有独立研究资金和/或培训经验有限的教职员工，但有资金作为联合调查人员。这种联合指导方式将允许初级教师在团队环境中获得培训经验，为他们成为下一代导师做好准备。研究重点有五个领域：1)动脉粥样硬化和心血管疾病，2)癌症生物学，3)肥胖和糖尿病，4)神经生物学和药物滥用，5)妇女健康和生殖医学。重要的新研究资源和机会包括：1)一个独特的、由大约500只多世代纯种猴子组成的群体即将从加州大学洛杉矶分校迁往WFUSM；2)维克森林再生医学研究所在组织工程方面的世界级项目；以及3)新成立的维克森林大学转化科学研究所(WFU TSI)。除必修课程外，所有学员还将参加每周的研究研讨会和杂志俱乐部。我们认为，兽医在制定预防和治疗人类疾病的战略方面发挥着关键作用。因此，NCRR为此目的对兽医进行高质量培训的资金对生物医学研究企业的持续成功至关重要。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The need for veterinarians trained as biomedical scientists has been well-documented. We request here funding to support four post-DVM fellows for three years of research training. The optimal situation for research training exists when qualified and motivated trainees work in the laboratories of experienced, productive and well-funded scientist mentors. Such mentors impart the knowledge, work habits, communicative skills and research skills enabling trainees to succeed as independent comparative medicine scientists and as contributors to multidisciplinary research teams. These scientists will be skilled both in the use of animal models and the application of cellular, immunologic, molecular, genomic or translational approaches to address questions of human health significance. Promising trainees identified through a summer fellowship program and multiple other strategies are encouraged to apply to this postdoctoral fellowship program. All trainees will be expected to enroll in the Graduate School of Wake Forest University and pursue a PhD degree. Trainees will usually choose from the Department of Pathology Ph.D. program in Molecular and Cellular Pathobiology or the multidisciplinary PhD program in Molecular Medicine and Translational Science. This latter program was established by Wake Forest University to respond to the increase in demand for MD's and DVM's trained in translational science and, more specifically, to participate in translational science programs supported by the new Clinical and Translational Science Award Program (CTSA). There are 26 members of the training faculty, of which 19 have independent research programs and funding. In addition, 15 have appointments in Comparative Medicine and 11 of these are DVM's. Trainees will choose a Mentor from among a group of well-funded and experienced scientists and educators and be assigned an Associate Mentor with expertise relevant to the trainee's research project. Associate Mentors are faculty members without independent research funding and/or with limited training experience, but with funding as co-investigators. This co-mentoring approach will allow junior faculty to gain training experience in a team setting preparing them to serve as the next generation of mentors. There are five areas of research emphasis: 1) atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, 2) cancer biology, 3) obesity and diabetes, 4) neurobiology and substance abuse and 5) women's health and reproductive medicine. Important new research resources and opportunities include 1) the imminent relocation of a unique multigenerational and pedigreed colony of about 500 vervet monkeys from UCLA to WFUSM, 2) a world-class program in tissue engineering at The Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine and 3) the newly-established Wake Forest University Translational Science Institute (WFU TSI). In addition to required coursework, all trainees will attend weekly research seminars and journal clubs. We believe that veterinarians play a critical role in the development of strategies for preventing and treating human diseases. Therefore, NCRR's funding of high-quality training of veterinarians for this purpose is vital to the continued success of the biomedical research enterprise.