This grant proposal seeks funding for Dr. Emily Dobyns for the NIH CAP Award. Dr. Dobyns is a board- certified pediatrician and Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at the UCHSC. During her fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine, Dr. Dobyns was trained in laboratory research on the in vitro role of eicosanoids in the neonatal pulmonary circulation. This initial experience spawned her interest in the mechanisms of acute lung injury in the clinical setting. Since joining the faculty in 1991, Dr. Dobyns' primary responsibilities have been in the clinical setting, teaching, providing patient care, and administration. During this time, she has become increasingly interested and involved in clinical studies of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) in pediatrics, including a randomized controlled multicenter trial on the effects of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) in the treatment of AHRF. She has also completed several related projects including measurements of cytokine levels in pediatric AHRF and infant lung function following treatment with iNO. These experiences have increased her interest in clinical research and led to a desire to expand her skills which would enable her to design and execute efficient clinical trials. Prior to this time, opportunities for this level of clinical training have not been available. The facilities available at UCHSC and Dr. Dobyns' experience place her in and ideal position for this training. Her immediate career goals are to: 1) become proficient in the skills needed to be a fully trained clinical-investigator; and 2) to use this training and interaction with experienced clinical researchers to better understand the pathophysiology and treatment of AHRF. Dr. Dobyns' long-term career goal is to become an independent clinical investigator. This award would allow her to attain these goals by providing: 1) time for supervised study within a rigorous didactic training program that has been designed to provide an optimal environment and mechanism for learning; 2) sufficient time to gain experience in advanced methods and experimental approaches in clinical research; 3) time for close association with an experienced mentor; 4) support from the Pediatric GCRC facilities and personnel for her research project; 5) to refine her clinical research as her training progresses; and 6) to achieve independence as a clinical investigator. This proposal details an organized plan for integrating the didactic training and critical interactions with experienced mentors, thereby allowing her to fulfill her long-term goals of achieving independence as a clinical investigator.
