This application is a competitive renewal for a multidisciplinary training program in cardiovascular disease. Its goal is to provide training in boh basic and clinical sciences relevant to the study of cardiovascular disease. This program proposes to support eight MD or PhD postdoctoral fellows per year. The training program will consist of a two-to-three year experience in the laboratory under the close supervision of a faculty mentor. These experiences will include molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, physiology, epidemiology, or healthcare outcomes related to cardiovascular disease. The program utilizes faculty mentors from the Departments of Internal Medicine, (Divisions of Cardiovascular Disease, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Nephrology, Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, General Medicine, and Molecular Medicine) Pathology, Pharmacology, Integrative Physiology, Biological Chemistry, Kinesiology, Neurology, Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine and Vascular Surgery. All mentors have extensive research experience in a particular discipline and most have been involved in the training of postdoctoral fellows who have subsequently gone on to independent, productive careers in research and/or teaching. New faculty members have been incorporated into the program to extend the outstanding training opportunities in biological sciences and disciplines relevant to clinical research. The state of the art $250,000,000 comprehensive cardiovascular center completed in 2007 was accompanied by growth of the cardiovascular related faculty and available resources. A cardiovascular research facilities recently established at the North Campus Research Complex, including approximately 40,000 square feet of laboratory space, will allow further centralization and expansion of scientists involved in cardiovascular research. This training program will continue to provide a structured curriculum that contains appropriate course work, exposure to lecture series, and in-depth laboratory and/or clinical research experience. A broad range of research topics are available to trainees, including pathophysiology of atherosclerosis, thrombosis, protease biology, mechanisms of fibrosis, obesity and metabolism, mechanisms of myocardial cellular function, molecular genetics, outcomes in cardiovascular disease, quality improvement, physician decision making, and economic assessment of cardiovascular interventions. Continuation of this training grant in cardiovascular disease at the University of Michigan will capitalize on the existing and growing resources that have been assembled at this institution. The program is designed to produce the next generation of highly trained investigators devoted to understanding the pathogenesis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of mortality in the United States. However, age-adjusted mortality rates due to cardiovascular events have been progressively declining due to scientific breakthroughs in prevention and treatment strategies. For this progress to continue, it is critical that we aggressively recruit and train the next generation of cardiovascular investigators. This proposal represents a diverse training program across a broad spectrum of cardiovascular diseases.
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