This proposal is for renewal of a research training program in academic nephrology, under the directorship of Dr. Vikas P. Sukhatme, Chief of Nephrology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Harvard Medical School (HMS). Support is requested for six trainees (an increase from the current level of five) who will spend at least 2 years in the program. Most candidates will have received the MD degree or the MD-PhD degree but prospective trainees with a PhD background in either immunology, biochemistry, physiology, or cell and molecular biology are also considered. The major criterion for selection is evidence of an interest, ability and commitment to investigative nephrology. Following their training, trainees have generally begun independent research programs as faculty in academic medical schools. *** Research activities span studies in patients with renal disease, to animal models, to cultured cells, to molecular biological investigations and include programs in acute renal failure, the molecular basis for ion transport, cellular immunology, mammalian gene regulation, kidney development and cancer, gene therapy directed to the kidney, mechanisms of protein degradation, renal fibrosis, and podocyte injury. *** The chief method of instruction is intensive personal involvement in a program of basic research under the close supervision of a senior scientist. Moreover, a structured program of research seminars, journal club, and laboratory presentations is mandatory participation for all trainees. *** The primary facilities for training are in the Renal, Immunology, Rheumatology and Molecular Medicine Divisions at BIDMC, in the Department of Cell Biology (HMS) and at MIT. A clinical research center has capabilities for experimental studies in normal volunteers and patients. A transgenic core, located only two floors below the Renal Division, is also utilized by These sites are close to each other, thus facilitating trainees, as is a new NIDDK supported Genomics Core. These sites are close to each other, thus facilitating didactic and research interactions.
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