This is a new application for a T32 in response to NIDDK's request to combine Nephrology's T32, which was in its 27th year, director Mark S. Segal MD/PhD Chief, Division of Nephrology, and Physiology's T32, which was in its 5th year, director Charles Wood Ph.D. is the Chair of the Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics. The rationale for the new program is that there remains a critical need for researchers to investigate the etiologies, pathogenesis, management, and consequences of kidney diseases. This T32 is unique since it combines Physiology's strength in pre-natal programing with the Nephrology's strength in translational research. The objective of this training grant is to provide superb training in basic, translational, or clinical research in the feld of kidney diseases. Training will be provided to both predoctoral (4 PhD, PharmD, or MD- PhD students) and postdoctoral (2 MDs, PhDs, or PharmDs) trainees, for 2 to 3 years. The faculty consists of clinician-scientists and basic scientists whose research is concentrated in areas important for understanding the basis of chronic kidney disease and its sequelae. The predoctoral trainees will be recruited and trained through the College of Medicine's Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences (IDP) or the College of Pharmacy. Postdoctoral trainees will be recruited through T32 program faculty and national advertising. All trainees will have a primary mentor, a renal mentor (if the primary mentor is not in the Division of Nephrology), and a basic science or epidemiologic mentor. For those who enter clinical research an MPH in the School of Public Health can be obtained. This T32 program was developed with specific mechanisms to enhance recruitment of qualified personal into translational research and to help ensure their future success. Relevance. A major consequence of the epidemic of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes has been a dramatic increase in patients suffering from kidney disease. Currently there are nearly 30 million individuals with variable degrees of kidney dysfunction, with nearly 800,000 with either end stage or near end stage kidney disease. Add to this the nearly 5 million individuals discharged from the hospital after suffering acute kidney injury and the recent realization that these individuals are increased risk for morbidity and mortality leads to a tremendous need for kidney investigation. This training grant provides a focused program for training promising candidates in basic, translational, and clinical research which should help them prepare for an academic career in nephrology.
There remains a critical need for academic nephrologists to investigate the etiologies, pathogenesis, management, and consequences of kidney diseases. Despite the fact that the numbers of individuals with kidney disease continues to rise, the number of individuals entering the field to conduct research continues to be inadequate. The objective of this training grant is to provide superb training in basic, translational, or clinical research investigating the cause, with a special emphasis on pre-natal programming, and sequelae of kidney diseases, hypertension, and renal transplantation. Training will be provided to 4 predoctoral and 2 postdoctoral trainees for 2 to 3 years.
