The primary objective of the Research Training Program in Gerontology and Geriatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is to educate and train qualified individuals with MD and/or PhD degrees to become independent investigators in geriatric medicine and gerontology. By the end of fellowship training, candidates are rigorously prepared for success in embarking on academic careers in biomedical and clinical research in aging within a geriatrics division of a university medical center. In order to train the next generation of independent scientists and clinical investigators who will be at the forefront of translational research on aging, trainees learn ten essential skill sets;complete a core curriculum which includes formal courses addressing (1) clinical study design and analysis, (2) the theoretical framework/molecular mechanisms underlying research on aging, and (3) the biology/physiology of aging in humans;and participate in a """"""""360-degree Translation Project"""""""" where a team of multidisciplinary postgraduate fellows identify and investigate important aging-related research areas that are ready for translation between scientific methodologies for investigation as well as clinical practice. Additionally, fellows experience early and extensive involvement in laboratory and clinical research training under the tutelage of full-time faculty members at Johns Hopkins, often in collaboration with senior staff of the Gerontology Research Center (GRC), the major intramural research program of the National Institute on Aging (NIA). This mentored research experience includes structured meetings with Program Faculty in geriatrics/gerontology and a supervised research project tailored to the trainee's experiences and interests, with the goal of producing one or more first-authored, peer-reviewed publications and a grant application to support further research. The growing proportion of older adults in the United States and the world underlies the need to train future researchers in Gerontology and Geriatrics. This revised application is a request for an additional five years of funding for this program, whose goal is to prepare the future researchers and academic leaders who will facilitate the translation of basic scientific knowledge to standards of care and policy in order to meet the challenge of improving the health of the elderly.
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