Training in Congenital and Acquired Heart Disease



 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of the competitive renewal of this joint Ohio State University (OSU)-Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH) institutional T32 postdoctoral program is to provide interdisciplinary, translational, and state- of-the-art research training in congenital and acquired heart disease. This plan provides a unique opportunity to focus on a continuum of congenital and acquired heart disease from fetal life to senescence and to compare disease mechanisms and outcomes between these diverse populations. The rationale is that advances in heart disease therapy and prevention are most likely to originate from a translational research program that fosters collaboration between physician-scientists and basic scientists. We will expand ongoing efforts to provide an academic environment to cultivate true `bidirectional' research, so that significant clinical problems identified by our physician scientits can be addressed in the laboratory, and key findings at the bench can be rapidly translated to larger animal studies and back to the bedside. This renewal application seeks 6 trainees per year for 5 years with a 2-3 year commitment. Fellows will be selected from MD, DVM, Pharm.D. or PhD trainees who have strong interests in cardiovascular research and are committed to careers in disease-oriented investigations. The Program Directors have a strong-track record in translational cardiovascular research and mentoring and will serve as the primary directors at their respective institutions. The training plan design consists of formal academic courses, seminars and journal clubs to provide trainees with an overview of heart disease and an in-depth cardiac research orientation. Trainees will participate in a tailor-made "survival skills" course comprised of various modules and workshops related to professional development. Each trainee will perform independent research projects in a mentor's laboratory. The research areas encompassed by the 34 extramurally-funded basic- and clinical- science mentors and 3 participating faculty are represented by their individual affiliations with The Heart Center at NCH and The Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute at Ohio State. A new clinical investigator pathway is added to the training program to enhance clinical research opportunities for MD fellows. The pathway will be directed by J. Phil Saul, MD, an internationally recognized physician-scientist and Chair of Pediatrics. An aggressive underrepresented minority recruitment and retention plan is described to increase trainee diversity. A cross-institutional system will be used to perform trainee and mentor evaluations. Overall metrics to determine success include programatic review by internal and external advisory committees and the successful execution of each trainee's individual development program. Trainee-specific metrics include completion of required coursework, annual evaluation by the mentoring team, and research productivity as assessed by the number of peer-reviewed manuscripts and abstracts, presentations at national meetings and grant submissions (NIH K, R21 and/or foundation grants).