A minimum of two years of postdoctoral training in Immunodermatology for a full time career in academic Dermatology is proposed in the Department of Dermatology of the University of Colorado School of Medicine. It is proposed to build upon the success of the previous funding periods by expanding the opportunities for trainees into molecular biology and molecular genetics. In the past two training periods 12 of 13 graduates entered full time academic careers and 11 are currently retained in full time academic Dermatology. The training faculty will be enlarged to 5 MD & 3 PhD trainers to include more senior scientists including the Chairman of Cellular and Structural Biology and the Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases of the Department of Medicine. Previous trainee supervisors in the Department of Immunology, the Department of Pharmacology & Division of Rheumatology of the Department of Medicine are included. The training faculty each have substantial independent funding with $6,374,489 in NIH funding for the 95/96 academic year. The proposed training faculty have each demonstrated successful mentoring of past trainees leading to academic careers. Research areas of interest include: cutaneous molecular virology, melanocyte biology, melanoma, oncogenes, cytotoxic mechanisms and programmed cell death of keratinocytes, leukotrienes, cytokines including IL-I, T cell receptors , photoimmunology and cell surface receptors. It is proposed that PhD as well as MD candidates be included for the first time with two trainees recruited each year such that in any one year there may be four trainees, two first year and two second year. All trainees will be postdoctoral and should have evinced they are capable of a career in academic Dermatology or Cutaneous Biology. It is proposed that David Norris MD become co-PI with the current training director, William Weston MD. This will permit Dr. Norris to develop the administrative skills to independently direct this institutional training grant in the future. Four essentials of training are proposed: Formal coursework, seminars, individual research projects and communications skills. Special emphasis on formal coursework in Immunology, Molecular Biology, Molecular Genetics, Cellular Biology, Scientific Ethics, Biostatistics and Management of Hazardous waste is proposed. Trainees will train within the laboratories of the Departments of Dermatology, Immunology, Cellular & Structural Biology, Pharmacology or the Divisions of Rheumatology & Infectious Disease of the Department of Medicine of the University of Colorado. Trainees will select a project of their own interest or from among a list presented to them by the Training Supervisors. Communication skills of the trainees will be emphasized with specific training in scientific writing and presentations. Trainees will have an office with computer with Internet capabilities, support for scientific literature searches and graphics.
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