There have been exciting advances in the areas of hemostasis and thrombosis in the past several years. Rapid advances have occurred in the understanding of the molecular basis of diseases, establishment of animal models for these disorders and in their treatment. Investigators at the University of Pennsylvania have made important contributions to these areas. We have a large and growing body of interactive investigators in these fields, but no training grant to support the training of pre- and post-doctoral fellows in hemostasis and thrombosis. At the moment, there are three large Program Projects and one SCOR in the areas of hemostasis and thrombosis on our campus. Yet, there is no organized program for training pre- and post-doctoral fellows in these areas. We believe that the further growth of research in hemostasis and thrombosis on our campus requires such a training structure. Specific areas of interest that trainees might pursue include structure/function of various coagulation factors; gene therapy for the hemophiliacs; platelet biology both in vitro and in murine models; the development and pathobiology of the vascular system; and the molecular basis of such clinical disorders such as thrombophilia and Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia This proposed training grant will have several key features that will make it a productive mechanism for training future investigators in hemostasis and thrombosis. The first component is a well-organized Oversight Committee that will ensure that outstanding trainee candidates are not only successful in their research, but in the obtainment of overall training in the fields of hemostasis and thrombosis. The secondcomponent is the design of a required didactic lecture series to provide the Ph.D. trainee with a well-rounded understanding of the clinical aspects of hemostasis and thrombosis and to provide the M.D. trainee with a well-rounded exposure to the various basic science issues and approaches in these fields. Another required course is the Cardiovascular Seminar Series given by national and internationally recognized investigators. The trainees will be provided with a unique opportunity to not only hear their research seminars, but to discuss the research effort by these investigators in a special session of trainees with investigator. The third component is a semi- annual evaluation form that will allow the Oversight Committee to intervene early when a trainee is having problems in either their research effort or course work.
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