This is a resubmission of a request for continuation of our Institutional NRSA, funded since 1975 for post-graduate training of MDs and PhDs in the University of Iowa Cardiovascular Research Center. All concerns of the Review Committee have been addressed in the Introduction. A large cadre of established investigators will serve as mentors for each of 13 trainees. Most of the 48 scientists who serve as primary mentors have been leaders and collaborators in major NIH funded research programs for several years. The research programs focus on 5 areas: Membrane Biology, Ion Channels, and Cell Signaling; Integrative Neurobiology and Sensory Signals in Cardiovascular Regulation; Endothelial/Vascular Biology, Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Cerebral Circulation; and Hypertension. Multidisciplinary themes and core resources cut across these major research areas. The emphasis is on basic, clinical, and translational research and a primary goal of an academic career. Most trainees will require from 4 to 6 years of advanced training in expectation of a career as independent investigators. A plan is outlined with support from this training grant for 1 to 3 years and the remaining years funded by institutional sources or other NIH, foundation or American Heart Association career development programs. The trainees participate in seminars, graduate courses, bench research, genomic and clinical research, and epidemiologic surveys and biostatistics. Several courses will be mandatory for individuals seeking MS or PhD degrees and for all trainees in Responsible Conduct of Research. Our resources include the only medical school in the state of Iowa, one of the largest University-owned hospitals, the VA Medical Center, a College of Public Health, and a Cardiovascular Research Center of eminent national and international recognition. Our strengths are 1) the recruitment and retention of established investigators; 2) the cohesive interaction between basic scientists and clinical investigators providing an excellent environment for training of PhDs and MDs side by side; 3) the record of success in training outstanding cardiovascular scientists; and 4) the breadth and depth of research opportunities, and superb institutional commitment. Several important new developments have positioned us very favorably to continue to provide an outstanding environment for training cardiovascular scientists. These are: the renewal of 5 major program project grants, the creation of a new Institute for Clinical and Translational Research with a funded CTSA, the building of a new Institute of Biomedical Discovery, and the funding of a $25M endowment for research in diabetes and its cardiovascular consequences. In this renewal, we place greater emphasis on multidisciplinary collaborations, the link between basic and translational science, mentoring and evaluations, and recruitment of unrepresented minorities. The discovery of the causes of cardiovascular disease and of ways to prevent them and cure the patients who are suffering, requires dedicated physicians and scientists to devote their lifelong work to a health mission without which a civilized society would not survive. Such individuals require years of training in medical science beyond their professional degree under the tutelage and mentoring of established senior medical investigators/teachers working in an environment with exceptional intellectual, technical, and physical resources. At the University of Iowa Cardiovascular Research Center, we have provided a world-renowned training center since 1975, have graduated hundreds of scientists, many of whom are national leaders throughout the USA, and aim to continue to do so for future generations with the renewal of federal support that we are applying for and hope to attain.
The discovery of the causes of cardiovascular disease and of ways to prevent them and cure the patients who are suffering, requires dedicated physicians and scientists to devote their lifelong work to a health mission without which a civilized society would not survive. Such individuals require years of training in medical science beyond their professional degree under the tutelage and mentoring of established senior medical investigators/teachers working in an environment with exceptional intellectual, technical, and physical resources. At the University of Iowa Cardiovascular Research Center, we have provided a world-renowned training center since 1975, have graduated hundreds of scientists, many of whom are national leaders throughout the USA, and aim to continue to do so for future generations with the renewal of federal support that we are applying for and hope to attain.
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