There is a profound need for scientists devoted to careers studying pediatric respiratory disease. The respiratory research programs at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital (RBCH), Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and the Lerner Research Institute (LRI), all in central Cleveland, have trained leaders in respiratory research for decades. Central to this success has been a culture of vibrant interaction between M.D.'s and Ph.D.'s. Here, we propose a new training program highly focused on preparing M.D.'s and Ph.D.'s for successful careers studying pediatric respiratory disease. Our vision is to recruit a bright, creative, diverse group of graduates who have in common an interest in respiratory disorders in children. The program will produce scientists who are 1) equipped with the latest skills; 2) capable of innovation and of independence; and 3) prepared to discover new paradigms that could improve the outcomes of children with respiratory disorders. To accomplish this vision, we will select approximately three M.D.'s or Ph.D.'s per year from a large, deliberately diverse pool of candidates. While the primary pool will be Pediatric Pulmonology fellows from RBCH, as well as new Ph.D. recruits to mentors' programs at CWRU and LRI, we will also solicit applications from postgraduate trainees in neonatology, pediatric critical care, pediatric sleep and respiratory pathobiology who are strongly motivated to pursue a career in pediatric respiratory research. Candidates will not be selected that would be better suited to another training program. The best of the applicants will be matched with one or more of 18 NIH-funded, highly successful mentors in specific themes relevant to the overall focus. Each trainee will have a scientific oversight committee composed of both M.D.'s and Ph.D.'s who will, with the mentor(s), ensure that the trainee presents data, publishes papers and submits grants at the pace required by the program; accomplishes all the coursework required by the program; and builds the repertoire of expertise required for a successful career in pediatric respiratory research. Oversight of the program will be supervised both by a stringent Internal Steering Committee review and an External Review Committee of highly regarded academic leaders. New strategies will recruit minority and otherwise disadvantaged candidates to ensure diversity. We will ensure that the investment in the program pays dividends in pediatric respiratory research careers.
This is a proposal for a new training program to enable scientists and physician-scientists to begin successful careers in pediatric respiratory research. This will involve intense mentorship by highly successful, NIH-funded investigators who will teach skills that candidates may need for a career focused on pediatric respiratory research. These skills will include, depending on the specific research interests of the trainees, studies of airway inflammation, respiratory control, bioinformatics and clinical trials. Trainees will be carefully mentored to ensure skill acquisition, successful coursework participation, data presentation, manuscript publication and grant preparation. We anticipate that we will launch three successful careers per year in pediatric respiratory research.
