Predoctoral training in medical imaging is a large and vigorous effort at Duke University, drawing chiefly on the resources of the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Radiology. The program has 68 current students and it has granted over 100 PhD's in the field over the past 35 years. Both Departments are poised for significant growth in medical imaging in the next 5 years. In addition, we propose a new emphasis on molecular imaging during the proposed funding period, based on the establishment of a new Center for Molecular and Biomolecular Imaging at Duke University. The Center will hire at least 3 new imaging faculty in molecular imaging in the next 1-2 years and establish several new imaging courses and workshops. We propose to integrate these new educational and research efforts into the Medical Imaging Training Program (MITP). The 22 current training faculty provide broad research opportunities with research interests in computer-aided diagnosis, x-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, optical imaging methods, biomolecular imaging, and medical physics. Through the MITP, we supported 4 students Year 1 and 8 students each year thereafter. We have successfully recruited two minority students as trainees. Trainees are funded in the first two years of graduate study and undertake a comprehensive curriculum providing initially broad training in medical physics and instrumentation followed by increasingly focused coursework in the student's area of specialization. The development of all of the trainees as independent and successful researchers is strongly evidenced by their publication records and their receipt of competitive education funding awards. Accomplishments of this program include: 1) the development and continued availability of a Radiology in Practice course which pairs students with a series of practicing radiologists in various specialties;2) a broad, continuing exposure to issues related to Responsible Conduct in Research, including two-workshops on ethics related specifically to Biomedical Engineering;3) a year-long continuing Medical Imaging Seminar Series, taken by second year students, that exposes students the wide medical imaging research activities at Duke and other institutions;4) sponsored student travel to scientific meetings on medical imaging;5) development of two new courses;6) the development of an Internship Program;7) 72 trainee publications;and 8) development of the Emerging Methods in Medical Imaging program.
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