The Baylor WRHR Center Program will greatly enhance academic career development for the Ob/Gyn physician investigator pursuing molecular medicine. On behalf of Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and University of Texas (UT) M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (M.DAC.C) Department of Gynecologic Oncology, this WRHR proposal is submitted. Baylor/M.D. Anderson WRHR is ideally placed, with strong core resources at two leading institutions and an Advisory Committee from both institutions (Principal Investigator Joe Leigh Simpson, Program Director Colin Bishop; M.D. Anderson Primary Investigator David Gershenson; Baylor: Arthur Beaudet, Bert O'Malley, Martin Matzuk, Larry Chan, Huda Zoghbi, Dennis Bier, Baruch Brody; M.D. Anderson: Michele Pollen, Thomas Burke). Primary (Research) Mentors with world-class molecular programs have been identified using set criteria. Of the 22, 6 are in Ob/Gyn at Baylor, 3 in Gynecologic Oncology at M.D. Anderson, and 13 in other Baylor Departments. Most research mentors already collaborate actively with Baylor Ob/Gyn. Baylor and M.D. Anderson have a strong internal pool of Ob/Gyn candidates and proven ability to recruit outside K-12 Scholars, as judged by the highly successful Baylor BIRCWH Program. M.D. Anderson has the nation's largest Gynecologic Oncology Training Program, a four-year program that includes 2 years of laboratory research. Baylor/M.D. Anderson WRHR will also aggressively recruit candidates outside Baylor and M.D. Anderson, especially minority candidates. Selection steps include candidates visiting Baylor and M.D. Anderson, selecting a mentor and with the mentor, prepare a research and educational plan. Scholars will be selected by the Advisory Committee using defined criteria. Each educational plan will include not only developing laboratory investigative expertise under one of the 22 Research Mentors, but a) 5 required courses/seminars (Fundamentals of Clinical Investigation: Cellular and Molecular Biology of Disease: WRHR Molecular Medicine Seminar: WRHR/BIRCWH Seminars in Women's Health: Ethics Symposium), b) additional courses as needed, c) WRHR research conferences, at which Scholars have their work critiqued, d) yearly WRHR Distinguished Speaker, and e) once yearly meetings of all WRHR Scholars in the Southwest to leverage networking. Regularly scheduled evaluations assure sequential benchmarks of success: 1) peer review abstracts by early year -02, 2) publications in journals of defined impact factors, 3) year -03 RO3 or private foundation support, culminating in 4) RO1 submission and eventual support. A Secondary (Clinical/Academic) Mentor (e.g., Ob/Gyn Division Director) will provide WRHR Scholars clinical perspective and introduce them into leadership roles in their subspecialty. Missions of Baylor WRHR and Baylor BIRCWH are distinct. Fifth in NIH funding among medical schools and renowned for its genetic resources (faculty and facilities), Baylor with cooperation of M.D. Anderson is fully capable of training both BIRCWH and WRHR Scholars.
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