The primary objective of the Research Training Program in Gerontology and Geriatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is to train qualified individuals with M.D. and/or Ph.D. degrees to become independent investigators in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology. Since 1986, an NIH institutional training grant has supported the training of biomedical and clinical researchers who have embarked upon academic careers in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology. Funding is requested to increase the number of postdoctoral positions from seven to eight per year for the next five years, given a substantial increase in the number of highly qualified applicants in recent years. The foundation of the training program and the specific aim of this proposal are to provide early and extensive involvement in laboratory and clinical research training to trainees with medical degrees or other advanced degrees. These trainees will work under the tutelage of full-time faculty members at Johns Hopkins, often in collaboration with senior staff of the Gerontology Research Center, the major intramural research program of the National Institute on Aging (NIA). The goal is to facilitate the development of those research skills necessary for establishing careers as independent scientists and clinical investigators. Aging research will be carried out by fellows in two- to three-year programs under the guidance of Program Faculty from research groups focused on the following issues: (1) diabetes and obesity, (2) musculoskeletal diseases, (3) cardiovascular diseases, (4) neuropsychiatric diseases, (5) frailty, (6) health sciences, (7) pulmonary diseases, and (8) geriatric oncology. All trainees will have extensive ongoing mentorship from their research mentor(s), the Program Director, and the two Associate Program Directors. Dr. Richard Bennett, an Associate Professor of Medicine, is the Program Director of the Research Training Program. He is supported in this role by two Associate Program Directors, Ross Andersen, Ph.D., and Neal Fedarko, Ph.D., who are both Associate Professors in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology and funded NIH investigators. In addition, a Research Advisory Committee comprised of senior faculty and Directors of other training programs provides guidance to the Program Director and Associate Program Directors. Thus, all trainees receive mentorship from faculty from their specific research groups, from three Program Directors with a primary focus on training postdoctoral fellows, and from an experienced advisory panel. The importance of research training programs in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology cannot be overstated. As the United States and the world approach the time when 20% of the population will be over sixty-five, having a cadre of well-trained physician investigators and research scientists focused on strategies to reduce the morbidity associated with aging is crucial.
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