The aim of this training program is to meet a growing national need for expertise in the epidemiology of pregnancy and childhood disorders and their later sequelae. Recognizing the absence of any training program in perinatal epidemiology in the US, we propose to recruit, train and graduate 15 pre- and postdoctoral fellows over a five year period, and to provide them with the skills to design, implement, analyze and disseminate peer-reviewed studies in the field of perinatal epidemiology. Nine perinatal epidemiologists, all with NIH funding or the equivalent, one of the largest concentrations of the discipline in the US, will mentor all trainees, assisted by another group of senior faculty with training and external funding in fields allied to perinatal epidemiology, who will be available to co-mentor trainees. This multidisciplinary mix will create an intellectually challenging and supportive research environment that will prepare fellows to become leading researchers who can contribute to the discovery of preventable causes of perinatal diseases, thereby improving the health of mothers and children. We will especially target pediatricians and obstetricians for post-doctoral training. With a program director and associate director who are both pediatrician epidemiologists, the program will be committed to the integration of epidemiology into both medical care and public health. The training program will emphasize formal course-work, intensive and carefully-mentored research experiences and five special training modules. Training in research ethics will be a program requirement, as will other activities designed to foster professional development. In addition to methodologic courses in epidemiology, statistics, computer programming and related disciplines, trainees will take courses in reproductive, perinatal and neurological epidemiology, courses not available in many national epidemiology training programs. Special training modules will be developed to address laboratory genetics, perinatal clinical entities and settings, operations of a data coordination center, translation of research into public health policy in maternal and child health, and scientific communication. A special research seminar series with outside perinatal investigators will be integrated into the Department of Epidemiology seminar series. A data repository of major local and national databases for use by trainees will be created and maintained. A formal evaluation and feedback mechanism will be created for the program. We hope to create a leading center in the US for training and research in perinatal epidemiology.
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