The Multidisciplinary Training in Lung Biology training grant seeks to produce outstanding, independent biomedical scientists who investigate the mechanisms, manifestations, preventions and cures for lung disorders. The program is establishing a track record of training, mentoring, and extensive interactive collaborations between basic science and clinical faculty. This interdisciplinary program is designed both for predoctoral students (N=4) to pursue their Ph.D. or M.D. /Ph.D. degrees, and for postdoctoral fellows, either MD or PhD, (N=3) to receive an advanced research experience. The program is highly translational. Training is mentor-based, but is enriched by workshops and didactic courses in advanced contemporary laboratory skills and the survival skills needed to excel in modern academia. Productive mentor-prot?g? interactions are central to the research training experience, and are supplemented by active participation in local and national scientific meetings. Trainee progress is carefully monitored and evaluated by the mentor(s), the program Director, the Mentoring Council (Executive Committee) and the T32 Steering Committee. The faculty participating in this program have been chosen on the basis of research productivity, significant grant support, collegiality, and commitment to serve as outstanding mentors. The unique science research focus areas of the program include pulmonary mechanics, airway epithelial biology, inflammation, oxidative chemistry, immune responses, mechanotransduction, lung repair and regeneration, metabolism, cell apoptosis, and cell signaling. Additionally, clinica patient-oriented research focuses on asthma, interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis, acute lung injury, obesity, cell therapy, lung infections, palliative care in a rural setting and an emerging interest in health care policy. The disciplines of pulmonary medicine, pathology, bioengineering, microbiology, pathology, immunology, physiology and public health are strongly represented. Although the trainee will receive intensive training in a single area of research, they will also receive broad-based exposure to lung-related research in other disciplines. Patient-oriented and translational research is stressed within and throughout the program. A strength of the program is the collaborative environment and interactive relationships in which MD and PhD investigators integrate to forge productive team science that is the basis of modern biomedical research. The program as a whole will be regularly evaluated by an independent advisory committee. Finally, this program has strong institutional support from UVM, and will allow us to continue training young investigators to become future national/international leaders in pulmonary research.
Lung disease is devastating and the prevalence of lung disease and attendant deaths is increasing. This training program for pre and postdoctoral trainees seeks to train a group of collaborative and productive scientists to investigate the causes, diagnosis and cures of debilitating lung disease such as asthma, interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis, acute lung injury and infections of the lung .
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