In its most recent research plan, the NHLBI's National Center for Sleep Disorders Research identified the need to train investigators as its highest priority. The Harvard Medical School Division of Sleep Medicine Program for Training in Sleep, Circadian and Respiratory Neurobiology, based at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, is designed to address this need. This program provides structured, comprehensive research training to prepare outstanding individuals for academic positions in the broad field of sleep science and sleep medicine. For each trainee, the training program consists of core required courses and activities, elective courses and activities, and an intensive research experience. Cross-disciplinary and translational research is a highlight of this program, and formal mentoring and tracking components are integral features. Intensive research training experiences are available across the breadth of sleep, circadian and respiratory neurobiology areas, including basic human research, basic animal research, translational and clinical research opportunities, with several program projects that span multiple laboratories and institutions. There are 13 preceptors plus 6 associate preceptors, with extensive experience and demonstrated success at training pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellows, well-funded research programs (training faculty have current research support totaling over $21 million of direct costs per year), and outstanding resources that trainees will utilize for research. Our training record over the past decade reveals the success of our efforts to train academic sleep scientists. Of our postdoctoral trainees funded by this training grant 80% have remained in academic research (still in academic training or now in faculty positions). Of those completing the training program 5 or more years ago, 79% are in faculty positions and have received external grant support, with 50% having independent funding as principal investigator. Funds are requested to support four pre- doctoral graduate students, three pre-doctoral short-term summer minority medical students and eight postdoctoral trainees. This formal program has grown and been refined over the decade since inception, and meets a nationally recognized need to increase the number of highly qualified investigators in sleep science and sleep medicine.
Our existing NHLBI supported Training Program in Sleep, Circadian and Respiratory Neurobiology in the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham &Women's Hospital is designed to address this nationally recognized need to enhance the number of trained investigators and trainees in neurobiological and neurobehavioral research related to: (1) basic sleep and circadian mechanisms;(2) patient-oriented sleep disorders medicine research;and (3) applied research on sleep and chronobiology.
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