Pediatric transfusion medicine (PTM) has evolved rapidly into a complex medical discipline, and PTM specialists have become important educators and medical consultants to clinical services and physicians, and have key medical, administrative, quality and regulatory roles within blood banks themselves. Also, evidenced-based advances in PTM require high quality basic, translational and clinical research. This application is submitted in response to RFA-HL-07-001 """"""""Pediatric Transfusion Medicine Academic Career Award"""""""". The overarching goal of this application is to build the infrastructure to allow the PI, investigators of the Emory University Transfusion Medicine Program, and the Mentor to build a nationally recognized, outstanding program in PTM, dedicated to: 1) optimal transfusion of pediatric patients, 2) advancement of the field through basic, translational and clinical research, and 3) education of the next generation of leaders in pediatric transfusion medicine. Development of the infrastructure constitutes the Specific Aims which are to: 1) establish, test and institutionalize a core curriculum in PTM allowing for formalized training of medical students, and selected residents, fellows and junior faculty, and establish an accredited fellowship position in PTM, thus developing a formalized pathway for recruitment of physicians into PTM in our institution, 2) accomplish the Pi's career development plan allowing her to continue and advance along the Mentor's established plan for the PI to become one of the nation's most recognized and leading authorities in PTM, and 3) create and maintain an interactive website dedicated to the promotion of PTM in a variety of important ways as describe below. In accomplishing these Aims, this application, if funded, will lead to a comprehensive and institutionalized program that will address the need for formalized pathways into PTM, curricula for training in PTM, and structured support, teaching and advancement of junior faculty within PTM for establishing the highest level of care to the nation's pediatric patients.
