This grant will continue the funding of a successful, 40-year training program in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. The program's objective is to train behavioral, epidemiological and clinical scientists to conduct interdisciplinary and translational population-level research aimed at the prevention of CVD and a reduction in health disparities. The training focuses on direct research experience in an existing excellent interdisciplinary research environment, the Stanford Prevention Research Center (SPRC), which includes community, policy, epidemiologic, behavioral, and clinical research that totals ~$11 million annually, primarily from the NIH. This renewal coincides with a period of unprecedented growth and innovation for SPRC. A new chair leads the division, Dr. John Ioannidis, 4 new faculty have been added, and $15 million in unrestricted funding has been obtained recently. These funds will create the infrastructure for a Wellness Living Laboratory (WELL), a bold and ambitious 5-year effort to create a registry of tens of thousands of participants, citizen scientists, initially in our extraordinarily diverse Santa Clara County andin China, who will have the opportunity to participate in an ongoing series of nested RCTs while simultaneously being followed as part of a long-term cohort. The SPRC faculty are collaborating to build this paradigm-shifting model of population science that will provide additional unique and cutting edge opportunities for postdoctoral fellows to conduct CVD-related research. WELL will complement the continued highly productive portfolio of innovative and impactful NIH-funded research of SPRC faculty (e.g., Virtual Advisors for Physical Activity Promotion in Aging Latino Communities, Studying Social Factors in Sodium Consumption to Reduce Hypertension Disparities). Trainees work closely with 1 or more faculty and join a research team where they actively learn about study design and methods, data collection and analyses, manuscript preparation, results dissemination, and grant preparation, with ongoing help and support from SPRC statisticians and investigators. The training includes weekly research seminars and research brainstorming sessions, monthly career development seminars, chronic disease prevention course offerings, and selected patient care and teaching experiences. Physician trainees enter a track that includes an optional 1-year MS degree in Epidemiology and Clinical Research. Trainee selection is based on interest in CVD prevention, potential for an academic research career, and demonstrated excellence. Of the 30 postdoctoral fellows completing training in the past 10 years (2005-2014) 26 (87%) currently hold academic or other research positions; of the 39 postdoctoral trainees appointed in the past 10 years, 67% (n=26) were women and 21% were under-represented minorities (2 Hispanic, 5 African-American, 1 Native American). We request continued funding for 8 postdoctoral trainees with an MD and/or PhD.
Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Training Program NIH 5 T32 HL007034 Competitive Renewal Application (08/01/2016- 07/31/2021) PI: Christopher Gardner, PhD PROJECT NARRATIVE This grant will continue funding for a successful, 40-year training program in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. The purpose of the program is to train behavioral and medical scientists to conduct interdisciplinary and translational research aimed at the prevention of CVD in communities.
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