Acute and chronic lung diseases are major causes of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. For many of these diseases, the fundamental pathobiology is not well understood and effective, disease-modifying treatments are not available. Therefore, there is a pressing need to train researchers focused on elucidating disease mechanisms. The Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine at Vanderbilt University and the Center for Lung Research have a long, successful history in developing well trained researchers who have the vision and the skills with which to embark on successful careers in academic research. This new program will train young investigators to study basic mechanisms of lung inflammation, repair, and remodeling. The Vanderbilt Center for Lung Research (VCLR), which was developed to coordinate and enhance collaborative interdisciplinary research and training related to the lungs, will house this program, and Dr. Timothy Blackwell (director of the VCLR) will serve as program director. This training program will support postdoctoral trainees who have completed M.D. and/or Ph.D. programs and show exceptional aptitude for successfully pursuing an academic research career. Trainees will concentrate on one of several disease focused areas of existing expertise in the VCLR: acute lung inflammation/injury, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, or lung carcinogenesis. A customized mentoring team will be formed for each trainee, consisting of a mentor with nationally recognized expertise in the area and a research advisory committee to provide additional guidance, mentoring, and feedback. The trainee's experience will be enhanced by interactions with other investigators and trainees in existing lung disease-focused research programs in the VCLR, an extensive program of seminars and conferences, and coursework tailored to meet the needs of each trainee. The unique environment of the VCLR - its rich collaborative interactions between basic scientists and clinical researchers, wide range of supporting Cores and Centers, and exposure to state-of-the-art clinical care - provides an outstanding opportunity to train successful scientists whose discoveries regarding fundamental aspects of lung diseases can be translated into improved patient care.
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