The ultimate goal of the Research Development Core is to advance knowledge through the development of academic, research-intensive faculty in the long neglected areas of biomedical research in gerontology and geriatrics. The Research Development Core of the Harvard Geriatric Research and Training Center will select and develop junior faculty members for independent research in Academic Geriatrics/Gerontology. Research in areas central to the mission of the National Institute on Aging will be emphasized in utilizing the extensive research programs in the Division on Aging and closely allied programs at Harvard supplemented by a series of research cores providing resources for patient recruitment, physiologic characterization, data management, radioimmunoassay and biomedical engineering. The critical elements required for a successful research development core are demonstrable in the Division of Aging. A past and on-going record of successful career development, a wealth of high quality fellows and junior faculty in geriatrics, research development faculty that are experienced in aging research and in an environment in which to facilitate career advancement have been developed at Harvard over the past decade. The core director will be assisted by research development core advisory committee composed of senior faculty in the Division on Aging and Harvard Medical School. Seven fellows and junior faculty members will be supported in year one of this proposal who represent three points on the spectrum of faculty development. Dr. Susan Greenspan and Dr. Jerry Gurwitz require career consolidation support and will receive funds to accelerate independence in several novel aspects of their research. Drs. Shannon and Davis, more recent graduates of the fellowship program require career induction support as they develop to independence under close mentorship of Division on Aging Faculty. Drs. Manning, Clark, and Baumann, who already have established research interests require support for innovative pilot work which offer them an opportunity to develop parallel research activities that will compliment and intensify their research development. Each of the individuals to be supported will utilize at least three of the five Center Research Cores. As a group they are representative of the spectrum of research and indicate the number and quality of trainees historically present in the Division on Aging.
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