The Sickle Cell Scholar Program offers a method of recruiting and training young investigators in the field of sickle cell disease. The scholar project can be a basic science, translational, clinical or patient services outcome project. The scholar must be two years post MD or PhD and must have some research experience by the time of the award. The scholar will not be recruited until after the awards are determined by the NHLBI, and the project will be determined at that time. The purpose of the Sickle Cell Scholar Plan is to describe the method of recruiting the scholar, to provide a mentorship plan for the scholar and to describe the facilities available to support mentorship. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (SJCRH) has sponsored two Sickle Cell Scholars in the last CSCC 5 year cycle and plans to sponsor two researchers for this cycle. The current scholar, Dr. Claudia Hillebrand, is mentored by the Central Nervous System Core Director, Dr. Kathleen Helton. Dr. Hillebrand was instrumental in several local protocols including the study led by Dr. Hankins, Clinical Core Director: Pilot Study of Non-lnvasice Assessment of Hepatic and Myocardial Iron Through MRI T2* in Patients with Transfusional Iron Overload (MRIRON). Dr. Hillenbrand helped developed the software for the current local study (MRIRON) to find a non-invasive alternative to assess iron overload in patients with sickle cell disease through the use of MRI techniques. Currently, SJCRH has more than 270 postdoctoral fellows in residence at the hospital and has outstanding support programs for these fellows including a Postdoctoral Fellowship Association, a postdoc newsletter, a website dedicated to information for postdoctoral fellows, scientifc editing, an academic program office, and other non-academic support including institution sponsored social activities. The Academic Program office offers programs to assist faculty to enhance their own mentoring skills, and a program to encourage quarterly or biannual evaluations of fellows by advisors and advisors by fellows. SJCRH encourages all facutly members to provide mentorship to trainees. The Directors of the Projects and the Cores have a wealth of knowledge and experience to guide a young investigator and they have all agreed to provide a minimum of 5% effort as a mentor if the scholar's project is in their area of expertise. The scholar will devote a minimum of 75% effort to the scholar's program.
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