Research training for medical students, resident physicians, and post-residency fellows is essential to developing the next generation of clinician-scientists. Physicians clinically trained in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery are those most likely to undertake research in the NIDCD mission areas of hearing, voice, communication disorders, neuroscience, taste, smell, and related cellular biology. The goals of this proposal are to: 1) provide 12-month predoctoral research experiences (two per year) for medical students interested in otolaryngology and the communication sciences, to encourage pursuit of residencies that include research training and, ultimately, academic careers;2) provide 18 months of postdoctoral research training to one otolaryngology resident per year, to define and develop a research interest to be continued as an academic faculty member;and 3) provide 12-month postdoctoral post-residency fellowships for 2 trainees/year to complement their clinical subspecialty training and prime them for academic careers as clinician-scientists. Trainees at each level will gain experience in writing and presenting research proposals. Each trainee will have a clinician as either a primary or a secondary mentor. The opportunity to attend extramural or intramural conferences or educational courses relevant to the trainee's chosen research discipline will be provided. Preceptors have been selected from the internationally-recognized faculty at the University of Michigan, consisting of both basic and clinical researchers with primary appointments in the departments of Otolaryngology, Neurology, or Pediatrics. Major focuses of research include the molecular genetics of hearing loss, head and neck oncology, neural mechanisms of auditory processing, tissue bioengineering, the molecular biology of neural regeneration, and otitis media. The research programs and facilities of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and the Kresge Hearing Research Institute are among the best in the world and represent a major strength. The Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR), funded by a Clinical Translational Science Award, sponsors outstanding training opportunities in clinical research as well as resources for clinical research. In addition, the University of Michigan has extensive investments in both clinical and basic research in terms of numerous core facilities, and major cross- departmental centers.
The goal of this project is to provide research training fellowships to medical students, otolaryngology residents and post-residency fellows in hearing, balance, voice, communication disorders, and head and neck oncology. The long term goal is to develop the next generation of clinician-scientists in otolaryngology, who treat patients with these disorders and are best poised to improve their care through research.
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