This application is a renewal of our T32 training grant to support the training of 6 predoctoral and 4 postdoctoral trainees in Immunology. Training is to be performed at 3 institutions, the University of Colorado, Denver (UCD) and the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes (BDC), both located at the Anschutz Medical Campus and at National Jewish Health (NJH). All faculty on this application are primary or secondary members of the Department of Immunology & Microbiology at UCD. The number of faculty on this application have been substantially increased since our last competitive renewal (2010). The increase reflects a considerable broadening in areas in which we intend to train and now includes experts in biostatistics and analysis of large data sets as well as more faculty who are skilled in translational research. The grant will be headed by two Program Directors, Dr. Philippa Marrack and Dr. Raul Torres, whose laboratories are at NJH and UCD, respectively. This arrangement is to ensure attention is directed to faculty and trainees at both physical locations. Dr. Marrack is a recognized expert in T cell biology who has a long career in training pre-doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows and who has been PD on this training grant for the last 5 years. Dr. Torres has successfully trained a number of predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows. He has been Director of the Ph.D. training program in immunology at UCD for almost 10 years and is well known for his work on B cell biology. Responsibility for various aspects of the Training Grant will be shared by these two PDs as described in the Multiple PD Leadership Plan. Predoctoral and postdoctoral individuals will be selected for support by this Training Grant by the Program Steering Committee after application by the trainee and mentor. Selection will be based on the merit of their previous work and their proposal for future research. Trainees will be required to take a course in the Responsible Conduct in Research every 4 years, to attend and present in our weekly ?Research in Progress? forum and to complete each year an Individual Development Plan, which will be discussed with their mentor. Evaluation of progress of research and advice about career direction will be provided for predoctoral students by their Thesis Committee and for postdoctoral fellows by a mentoring committee consisting of at least 3 faculty members, chosen by the fellow. Predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees must meet their committees at least once every 6 months, and the committees must submit written reports describing the meetings. This Training Grant has a long and distinguished record, with almost all of its trainees going on to successful careers as scientists, ranging from academia to public service at NIH or the CDC to research in Biotech or with big Pharmaceutical companies. Particularly notable is its continued successful recruitment and training of a number of underrepresented minorities. The Program continues to be a major focus for immunological research in the Rocky Mountain region in particular and the USA in general.
Immunity is crucial to human and animal health. Its contribution can be increased with the use of vaccines to prevent infection and treat cancer and immunosuppressants to reduce autoimmunity. Trainees supported by this grant will become the future scientists who will work towards increased understanding of the immune system and better ways to treat human patients.
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