. The Endocrinology and Reproductive Physiology (ERP) Graduate Training Program is an interdisciplinary endocrine program with a longstanding focus on reproduction. As such, a major focus of its researchers relates to many focus areas of NICHD, ie reproductive biology and physiology, maternal health, and fetal health at the level of intrauterine programming and the origins of adult onset disease. This is achieved using multidisciplinary approaches from stem cells and cellular/molecular biology to comparative physiology of animals models to translational work in nonhuman primates and humans. Since 2014 we continue to show excellence in minority recruitment and training, and the further evolution of our training program continues with the addition of an advanced responsible conduct of research and professional development course. The outcomes for our trainees have been outstanding both in terms of publications and placement, and are fully detailed below. In the past three years we have seen an increase in human translational studies by multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary teams, the members of which are both MD and PhD. We have seen a dramatic increase in MD and MD/PhD trainers interested in reproduction as well of the study of adult outcome diseases (obesity, diabetes, hypertension) caused by prematurity/low birthweight and which themselves may lead to complicated pregnancy. We continue to train MD fellows in our Degree Fellowship Track within ERP. While MD candidates are not typically candidates for support under this T32 Predoctoral application, we wish the reviewers to be aware of the existence of this track within ERP as this impacts greatly on the experience of both MD postdoctoral and PhD Predoctoral trainees. The end result is a stronger, more vibrant training environment which, with the recruitment of additional MD and PhD faculty, is more conducive/supportive of translational research. This blended training environment is very much needed if we are to maintain a future pool of interdisciplinary translational research team members to pursue the research and translational goals of NICHD to improve public health as it relates to pregnancy and reproduction.
Research scientists focused on the fields of pregnancy and reproduction are clearly of value to American public health. Nonetheless the increasing complexity of such research means there may not be enough qualified scientists in the future for our health needs. The ERP Program is one of only a handful of research centers qualified to train these future scientists, and we propose here a training program plan to achieve that goal.
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