There is grave concern that patient-oriented research is failing as a result of many factors now affecting the healthcare climate in academic settings, including a lack of mentoring and nurturing on the part of more established investigators. This problem is felt even more acutely in Nephrology, even as the clinical demand for Nephrologists is increasing to accomodate the workload of kidney disease in the United States. The major goals of this project are to develop a program that fosters interest, curiosity and productivity among young investigators interested in patient-oriented research and Nephrology and gain insights that may lead to better outcomes for patients with kidney disease. The research program compiled by the Principal Investigator (P.I.) combines outstanding aspects of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) environment with the excellence of the UW transplant program to develop clinical translational research in transplantation as the steppingstone for a larger and more complete Nephrology patient-oriented research program in the future. The P.I. has assembled resources to 1) expand training and mentoring opportunities in the UW Nephrology Section through patient-oriented clinical translational and mechanistic studies; and 2) allow him to mentor a new generation of Nephrologists interested in patient-oriented research. The research plan investigates mechanisms of allograft function and novel immunotherapeutics. The natural outgrowth of this work will be the expansion of patient-oriented research endeavors into areas of novel diagnostics and interventions for kidney disease, as well as quality-of-care and cost-effectiveness analyses encompassed within kidney disease-related outcomes research. The mentoring program is targeted at post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty. It is comprised of a) a learning plan; b) core curricula in patient-oriented research; c) specialized classes related to research activities; and d) direct involvement in mentored patient-oriented research projects. Many aspects of this work will be coordinated through the UW's Clinical Investigator Preparatory Program (CIPP). This grant will not only help yield new information about aspects of kidney function that hopefully will have a beneficial impact on clinical outcomes. It will also work to meet the NIH's goal of increasing the number of physician-scientists conducting high-quality patient-oriented research.
| O'Herrin, Jaquelyn K; Hullett, Debra A; Heisey, Dennis M et al. (2002) A retrospective evaluation of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) and its potential effects on renal allograft function. Am J Nephrol 22:515-20 |
