Duke University Medical Center (Duke) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) jointly propose this competing renewal of our Clinical Hematology and Transfusion Medicine Research Career Development Program in response to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute RFA-HL-12-005. Duke and UNC have long traditions of collaborative basic and clinical research in hematology. We now propose to continue our program to train scholars in four Clinical Research Focus Areas that are well established strengths of our medical center, namely: (1) Sickle Cell Disease;(2) Thrombosis and Thrombophilia;(3) Disorders of Hemostasis;and (4) Transfusion Medicine, Anemia, and Stem Cell Therapy. The purpose of the present application is therefore to ensure the continuation of high quality patient-oriented research training at Duke and UNC through the provision of a clinical, didactic and experiential program for scholars who are committed to academic clinical research careers focusing on hematology and transfusion medicine. This K12 Career Development Program will include a didactic and clinical curriculum designed to teach scholars the broad array of skills needed to perform clinical research and to establish successful academic research careers in hematology or transfusion medicine. Each scholar will have the opportunity to earn a master's degree in clinical research, and there are also extensive course offerings in genomics and genetics. In addition, we propose four primary research tracks that our trainees can enter for their mentored research experience. Each has at least two Lead Mentors, and there are numerous faculty at Duke and UNC who will serve as co-mentors. Our 4 tracks are (1) Translational Research, (2) Genetics and Pharmacogenetics;(3) Clinical Trials;and (4) Health Services Research/Outcomes/Health Policy. This combination of clinical and didactic training and a multidisciplinary mentored research experience will prepare scholars for submission of applications for extramural funding for their ongoing research program and for successful negotiation of their research careers. The long-range goal of this program is thereby to help ensure an adequate supply of well trained researchers who will be able to confront the clinical problems of hematology and transfusion medicine through well-designed, skillfully conducted and multidisciplinary clinical research.
This career development program will provide translational and clinical research training to physician-scientists focused on problems related to hematologic diseases and their treatment, including transfusion medicine and cellular therapy, including hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Advances in these fields and more physicians capable of leading those advances are needed in order to improve the health of millions of people with inherited and acquired blood disorders.
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