The University of California Davis will establish a Mentored Clinical Research Training Program as a part of the K-30 mechanism. The program has three goals. First, the MCRTP will provide junior faculty, clinical fellows and advanced post-doctoral trainees the didactic training, mentored research experience, and peer support needed to pursue successful clinical research careers. A formal two year curriculum tailored to individual trainee needs will lead to either a certificate or a Master's in Clinical Research. Didactic course work and mentored research experiences will be augmented by specialized workshops, seminars and retreats. The trainees will be ensured protected time and a flexible curriculum appropriate to their background and interests. Ongoing feedback and career development mentoring for trainees will be provided by faculty mentors and a 'mini-advisory' committee. Second, the MCRTP will position UC Davis as a nationally recognized clinical research leader, consistent with the identification of clinical research as a focus in our School of Medicine strategic plan. We will coordinate disparate training experiences into a single highly visible program with significant institutional support. The MCRTP will interface with new initiatives including our new GCRC and our Clinical Research Investigator Services Program (CRISP). The result will be a growing cadre of investigators with a patient-oriented research focus. Third, the MCRTP will extend the vision of clinical research beyond the School of Medicine to other UC Davis programs and to affiliated partner sites. We will build upon established relationships with the School of Veterinary Medicine, the Division of Biological Sciences, the Department of Biological Engineering and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) as well as our affiliated Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System (VANCHCS). The inclusion of these faculty and selected trainees will establish a unique multi-disciplinary perspective in our MCRTP and advance our patient-oriented research achievements. Programmatic guidance will be provided by the Internal Advisory Committee and in an annual meeting of our External Advisory Board. Overall success of the program will be determined through a formal outcomes assessment program.
| Salzman, Nita H; Underwood, Mark A; Bevins, Charles L (2007) Paneth cells, defensins, and the commensal microbiota: a hypothesis on intimate interplay at the intestinal mucosa. Semin Immunol 19:70-83 |
