This is a new application for a NIH T32 institutional training grant for training Physician-Scientists in research in immune-mediated disease at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research within the North Shore LIJ Health System. The large applicant pool (>110 per year for the Allergy and Immunology Residency Training Program) is a source of outstanding physician candidates to train as investigators in the discipline of immunology. These candidates will be competitively selected for appointment to the T32 training program for 3 years of rigorous scientific training. Sixteen established Feinstein faculty investigators have been carefully selected to serve as mentors, based on their excellence in research and teaching. Trainees will enroll in courses at the Elmezzi Graduate School at the Feinstein Institute to acquire a comprehensive fund of knowledge in immunology, genetics and genomics, and the principles of clinical and translational research. They will receive instruction in the preparation and publication of manuscripts, oral presentations at national meetings, preparation of grant applications, and will be assisted in the development of an investigative career. The Feinstein Institute provides a highly interactive critical mass of investigators with diverse trainees comprised of graduate students in the Elmezzi School, medical students (Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NYU), PhD fellows and MD/PhD fellows. Mentors will provide training opportunities in 3 thematic areas: 1) autoimmunity and immune responsiveness, 2) genetic and disease pathogenesis, and 3) inflammation and host response to infection. These mentors provide an in depth and diverse exposure to immune-mediated diseases at the bench in clinical and translational studies. The goal of this T32 training program is to develop immunology physician-scientists who will serve as future investigator leaders, attract and maintain underrepresented minorities, and address the national need for immunology investigators. Its uniqueness is the commitment to and success at transforming clinical practice that characterizes the mentors.
The decline in physician-scientists is a serious concern. Highly trained individuals completing training programs in immunology are needed to maintain the rapid pace of novel and creative advances in biomedical research that enhance the care of patients with immunologic and inflammatory disorders. These disorders, in aggregate affect over 150 million individuals in the U.S. alone, at a cost of over $100 billion annually. This new training program is committed to successfully respond to this important challenge.
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| Jongco, Artemio M; Gough, Jonathan D; Sarnataro, Kyle et al. (2014) X-linked agammaglobulinemia presenting as polymicrobial pneumonia, including Pneumocystis jirovecii. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 112:74-75.e2 |
