A long term goal of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Wisconsin- Madison is to produce scientific leaders for our discipline. To accomplish this goal, we propose to establish a Training Program for individualized career-building for post-doctoral candidates who have a definite commitment to an academic career in cutaneous biology. An aggressive plan to recruit MDs who have shown a clear commitment to academic dermatology will be implemented. The Program is led by an established investigator who was a successful director for more than ten years on a T32 in cutaneous biology at another institution. Integral to the Program is a selection process that emphasizes on quality of previous research experience and potential for independent investigation. This program rests on a foundation of well-funded research in the biology of skin diseases that includes 13 investigators and $14 million of annual direct cost from the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Six trainers are within the Department of Dermatology and seven others are established mentors from other departments with strong training records and research programs emphasizing skin biology. Many have collaborative relationships with each other and with faculty across the University. Participating faculty employ state of the art technology to study some of the most complex problems in investigative dermatology at the mechanistic level. Each trainee will be guided to apply for mentored individual NRSA or K awards. Formal training will also be provided in the ethical conduct of being a scientist and critical analysis of data for publication of results. In addition, all trainees will participate in courses, workshops, symposia and data presentation exercises. To develop communication skills, trainees will be required to present their work once a month at work in progress sessions which are held where six PI's of the Department and all fellows (over 40 at this time) are present and at the annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology and/or other national meetings. In summary, the goal of this program is to capitalize on the strengths of the funded investigators in the Department of Dermatology, as well as the University, to provide experience that is likely to lead to a productive and independent career in investigative dermatology.
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