application) Specific Aims of this mid-career patient-oriented research award are 1) to further the candidate?s independent patient-oriented clinical research program in behavioral interventions for enhancing children?s growth and nutritional status, and 2) to provide the candidate protected time and resources necessary to mentor junior faculty and trainees pursuing clinical investigation in behavioral nutrition interventions for children. The Candidate?s programmatic research has focused on examining behavioral factors affecting adherence to dietary recommendations and designing and testing behavioral interventions to enhance dietary adherence in children with chronic medical conditions. Currently, the candidate has two funded grants on improving nutritional status in children with cystic fibrosis and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The candidate also has an established record of providing mentorship to postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty. The Training Plan will permit the candidate to enhance her multi-disciplinary research in pediatric nutrition by the acquisition of knowledge and skills for the measurement of nutrient intake, nutrient requirements, growth, and body composition. This will complement her skills in the design of behavioral interventions to promote optimal growth pattern and nutrition status in children in her own research and in that of junior faculty and fellows who she mentors. The Research Plan will expand the candidate?s ongoing research examining the application of a behavioral intervention to increase calcium intake and bone mineral density in children with Crohn?s disease. The Mentoring Plan for junior faculty and postdoctoral fellows will consist of 1) individualized mentoring of 4 junior faculty; 2) intensive practical training in patient-oriented research within the context of the current research plan for 1 to 2 postdoctoral fellows per year; 3) training of junior faculty and fellows by candidate on the integration of assessment methodologies of nutrient intake, growth, and body composition into behavioral methodologies for assessment and intervention in pediatric care; and 4) participation of junior faculty and postdoctoral fellows in established didactic programs on manuscript and grant writing, design of clinical trails and clinical research methodology, and ethics in clinical research. Children?s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine provide an ideal setting for this award because of the commitment to patient-oriented research, the presence of a strong pediatric General Clinical Research Center, and the institution of new initiatives to promote innovative clinical research including submission of a Clinical Research Curriculum Award (K30).
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