Physicians who have completed a residency and perhaps a fellowship are usually superb clinicians, but generally are not well prepared to meet the research requirements of a career in academic medicine. This proposal describes a plan for a Male Reproductive Health Research (MRHR) program for internists, endocrinologists and/or urologists at the University of Washington. The major goal of this program is to provide the research training to enable young physicians to establish research careers as independent investigators. The principal training format proposed is a mentored experience with a successful investigator (clinical, translational or basic) for 2 to 5 years. During this time, the scholar (trainee) devotes most of his/her time to research projects, whereby he/she acquires the knowledge and skills to become independent and pursue a research intensive academic career. In addition, in the initial years of each scholar's research training, formal course work will be provided, as appropriate for the scholar's interests. This proposed MRHR program at the University of Washington has twelve mentors with extensive research experience and funding that collectively represent outstanding clinical, translational and basic science expertise in subject areas that directly relate to men's reproductive health. This is a multidisciplinary proposal in that the mentors have their primary expertise and appointments in the Departments of Medicine, Urology, Genome Sciences, Epidemiology, Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics and Obstetrics and Gynecology. Each proposed mentor has a record of excellence in research and documented experience in training young investigators. The Departments of Medicine and Urology will diligently recruit outside scholars, and, in addition, have a large internal pool of residents, fellows, and junior faculty members eager to compete for the scholar awards proposed here. The Medicine and Urology Departments and the School of Medicine at the University of Washington are prepared to make substantial commitments of resources and funding to support this proposed research program. The University of Washington is an ideal location for a career development program in male reproductive health. The University has a wealth of resources and experience in male reproductive research, and can provide many opportunities for scholars to embark on successful research careers, which will serve to foster new therapeutic breakthroughs in issues relevant to male reproductive health.
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