This renewal proposal for the Adult and Pediatric Rheumatology Training Program focuses on providing exceptional basic, translational and clinical research training to MD/MD PhD trainees interested in research careers studying autoimmunity and rheumatic diseases. A Selection Committee selects 5 of the most qualified candidates from the high quality pool of rheumatology and immunology fellows, as well as MD/MD PhD or PhD fellows from other departments who have strong commitments to these research areas. Physician fellows are eligible at the end of their clinical training and must commit to 2 years of training with >80% protected research time. Fellows can select training in either Basic and Translational Research (Track 1) or Clinical Investigation (Track 2).Training in each track will be comprised of a hypothesis-driven research project, required and recommended course work specific to the research track, and skill development (eg., grant and manuscript preparation) required for a successful independent research career. Trainees in Clinical Investigation (Track 2) are eligible for obtaining a Master of Science (MS) in epidemiology or health policy. These fellows should commit to 3 years of training to insure adequate time to complete. Other trainees in Track 2 have selected course work from the MS curriculum. In addition to course work, all trainees in both Tracks, required to attend weekly lectures in rheumatic diseases, journal clubs, immunology and rheumatology yearly retreats, semiannual T32 fellow specific retreats, and Responsible Conduct of Research courses. Multiple other offerings are specific to each Track such as Advanced Immunology Seminars or the Intensive Course in Clinical Research, and trainees are encouraged to cross-over when interested. These various courses, conferences and venues will provide opportunities for interactions between the rheumatology and immunology T32 trainees and the many other immunology fellows, faculty and students involved in the broad base of research at Stanford. Faculty mentors are selected carefully for their research expertise and mentoring competencies. Rigorous evaluation of the program identifies opportunities for improvement and progress toward goals. We will leverage Stanford's rich research and training culture to provide the environment to train the next generation of academic independent investigators in rheumatology and Immunology.
In order to meet future public health needs of the nation this educational training program provides exceptional research training to MD, MD Ph.D. or PhD trainees in adult and pediatric rheumatology and immunology to study autoimmunity and rheumatic diseases. It will train the next generation of translational and clinical research investigators to take advantage of new breakthroughs in understanding disease pathophysiology and the resultant potential for development of innovative therapy in both adult and pediatric rheumatic diseases. The long-term goal is to enable the trainees to become independent investigators and academic physician-scientist leaders of the future.
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