This application is a proposal for a Fellowship training program in pediatric endocrinology, designed to provide multidisciplinary training in diabetes research at The Barbara Davis Center (BDC), and the Children's Hospital Colorado (CHC) at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. The proposal's rationale is: 1) there is a critical shortage of pediatric endocrinologists in the country, particularly those trained and experienced in diabetes research 2) Diabetes is an increasingly significant healthcare problem in the pediatric population with devastating consequences from a personal and health economics viewpoint 3) Current rapid advances in diabetes investigation calls for an increased pool of physician scientists trained in clinical, biochemical, epidemiological, and behavioral research to carry out basic and translational research in pediatric type 1 and type 2 diabetes to bring advances in diabetes research to the clinical arena. The Barbara Davis Center and CHC have an extensive and a proven record in research training of young investigators. A strong clinical endocrinology program at Children's Hospital, in addition to a research base in type 2 diabetes, will provide a well-rounded pediatric endocrinology training program. The BDC, CHC and the wider Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC) have a well-established network of investigators working in the epidemiology, immunobiology, genetics, and molecular biology of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as well as the abnormal pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes. This network of experienced mentors is ideally suited to develop the next generation of young pediatric endocrinologists and encourage them in a career as diabetes investigators. Areas of research focus within the Barbara Davis Center include islet cell physiology, genetics, molecular biology, immunology, the autoimmunity, prediction and prevention of type 1 diabetes, and the epidemiology, prevention and improved, novel treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. These areas of research are urgently needed and have been identified as important to the national public health to address the epidemic of diabetes in the US. This application is enhanced by the NIH supported Colorado Clinical and Translational Research Institute (CCTSI), Pediatric and Adult Clinical Translational Research Centers, as well as a strong Masters of Science in Public Health Program in the Colorado School of Public Health (CSPH) and a Masters in Clinical Science within the CCTSI. This application has the support of the Departments of Pediatrics, Medicine, The CSPH, the CCTSI and Children's Hospital Colorado. The ability to provide strong didactic coursework in statistics, epidemiology, research methods, ethics and regulation of human research, medical writing, biochemistry, pharmacokinetics and molecular biology, as well as human medical genetics and molecular genetics through the CCTSI, the BDC, the Program in Human Genetics and the CSPH, combined with a strong mentoring faculty at the BDC, CHC and the wider AMC will allow us to provide the training required to develop pediatric endocrinologists as the physician scientists needed in academic pediatric endocrinology to be the leaders of tomorrow.
Our NIDDK T32 Training Program 'Developing Pediatric Endocrinologists for the Future' will be conducted at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus. Our PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVE is to develop Pediatric Endocrinologists who are well grounded in basic and/or translational science research skills required for advancing the field of knowledge in type 1 and type 2 diabetes and are educated in collaborative and integrated approaches for translating basic discoveries in diabetes into opportunities for advancing clinical research and care. Our OVERALL GOAL is that after their training, our trainees will have acquired the professional skills to become clinician scientists beginning productive academic careers as junior faculty investigators who will have the leadership capacity to make significant impacts in the field of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children.
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