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. It also proposes to train post-doctoral psychologists in diabetes behavioral research. The proposal's rationale is: 1) there is a critical shortage of pediatric endocrinologists and psychologists trained 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. Psychologists training in behavioral research beside physicians will add strength to the physician program and contribute diabetes research trained psychologists to the very small pool of these important specialists. The Barbara Davis Center and CHC have an extensive and a proven record in research training of young investigators. A strong endocrinology program at Children's Hospital, in addition to research program in type 2 diabetes, will provide a well-rounded pediatric endocrinology training program. The BDC, CHC and the wider Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC) have well- established investigators in the epidemiology, pathophysiology, immunobiology, genetics, and molecular biology of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This network of experienced mentors is ideally suited to develop the next generation of young pediatric endocrinologists prepared for a career as diabetes investigators. Areas of research focus within the Barbara Davis Center include developmental islet cell biology, genetics, immunology, autoimmunity, prediction and prevention of type 1 diabetes, as well as the epidemiology of and improved, novel treatments of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The integration of psychologists training in diabetes behavioral research will add importance and depth to the Program. These areas of research are urgently needed and have been identified as important to the national public health to address diabetes in the US. This application is enhanced by the NIH supported Colorado Clinical and Translational Research Institute (CCTSI), Pediatric Clinical Translational Research Center, as well as a strong Masters of 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 courses in statistics, epidemiology, research methods, ethics and regulation of human research, medical writing, molecular biology, as well as human molecular genetics through the CCTSI, the BDC and the CSPH, combined with a strong mentoring faculty will allow us to provide the training required to develop pediatric endocrinologists and psychologists into the scientists needed for the leaders of tomorrow.
Our NIDDK T32 Training Program ?Developing Pediatric Endocrinologists and Diabetes Psychologists 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 and Psychologists 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 fields of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents.
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