This application seeks renewed funding for a post-doctoral training program for pediatricians and Ph.D.s seeking investigative careers in Pediatric Infectious Diseases. The thrust of the program is to train a group of highly qualified and motivated pediatricians and Ph.D.'s in contemporary molecular and cellular biology, so they may address unresolved issues relevant to the understanding, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in children. The need for individuals who are knowledgeable in clinical pediatrics or in basic science disciplines who possess the skills necessary to study these diseases in the laboratory at a molecular level is greater now than ever, given the recent emergence and resurgence of infectious diseases. Individuals will complete a minimum program of three years of post-doctoral training. This will consist of a minimum of two years and 3 months devoted to laboratory investigation and 9 months of clinical training in pediatric infectious diseases (for pediatricians) or 2-3 years of laboratory investigation for postgraduate Ph.D.s. This is the continuation of a program initially funded in 1981, which has a longitudinal record of training pediatric investigators. In 1999, postdoctoral training of PhDs was added to the program as approved by the NICHD program office. In the last 10 years of our program of 11 of 14 (79%) total physician graduates and 2 out of 2 (100%) total PhD graduates are in investigative and academic careers. We also demonstrate additional success in recruiting underrepresented minorities since 2001. All 5 current trainees funded by this grant (4 MD's and 1 PhD) are actively engaged in fundamental research relevant to infectious diseases. Research training will be supervised by one of the 32 training faculty, who are drawn from 4 different departments/programs at the University of Washington and its affiliates Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center and Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center, Seattle: the Infectious Diseases programs in the Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, the Department of Microbiology and the Department of Immunology. The faculty maintains robust competitive funding and has an outstanding record of training PhD and physician scientists. The close integration of physician and non-physician trainees is an essential element of this program as is the incorporation of appropriate course work and participation in seminar and research-in progress series within the basic sciences. Scientific integrity is emphasized through formal and one-on-one teaching. The program is supervised by the PI with the assistance of an advisory committee composed of clinicians and basic scientists. The ultimate goal of the program is the recruitment and training of a select group of pediatricians and Ph.D.'s who will make unique contributions to the understanding of microbial pathogenesis, molecular microbiology and host defenses and thereby facilitate the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases affecting children.
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