The establishment and Endocrinology Research Center (DERC) at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes (BDC) at the University of Colorado Health Sciences (UCHSC) brings together the collective expertise of basic and clinical scientists from different faculty and research backgrounds to enhance productivity and the quality of diabetes and endocrinology research in the university. Interdisciplinary cooperation, communication and collaboration between researchers will be promoted by implementation of programs of training and academic enrichment, provision of Core facilities and a Pilot and Feasibility project program. The latter is aimed at fostering innovative ideas of young faculty and established researchers who wish to direct their research efforts to diabetes. All core facilities will be located at the BDC and managed by BDC members. Individuals with particular expertise at the UCHSC and National Jewish Medical Research Center have been included as investigators and advisors as a deliberate strategy aimed at providing further added value and cost effectiveness to the program. The Core facilities are structured around existing expertise services or large instrumentation which, by addition of staff and resources, will provide a productive and cost-effective resource to the maximum number of investigators. Five Cores are proposed: Administration (J. Hutton &G. Eisenbarth, directors); Cytometry (D. Bellgrau, directors); Animal Resources (R. Gill & D. Wegmann, directors); Cell and Molecular Resources (J. Hutton & L. Sussel, directors) and Clinical Investigation/Informatics (M. Rewers & P. Chase, directors). They will be accommodated in 2,147 square feet of approved reassigned space in the present BDC building on 9th and Colorado Blvd on the UCHSC campus. No items of large equipment are needed by the DERC Cores as these have been acquired. Two novel features of the proposed DERC are a """"""""Molecular Bed and Breakfast"""""""" laboratory that will accommodate investigators for 2-4 weeks for in-house, hands-on training in either basic or advanced molecular biology techniques for 2-4 weeks for in-house, hands-on training in either basic or advanced molecular biology techniques, and a Translational Research Unit which will guide investigators through the labyrinth of setting up a clinical study. Dr. Hutton, PhD will be the Director of the Center and Dr. Eisenbarth, MD, PhD will be his deputy. An External Advisory Board comprised of four distinguished investigators in the field of diabetes will be appointed to provide oversight, assist in the selection of Pilot and Feasibility Projects and conduct an annual review of the DERC. The activities of the DERC will be broadly disseminated to the NIDDK, UCHSC, local chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International or the American Diabetes Association by direct communication and publicity of the BDC webpage.
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