David Norris M.D. will become the PI with the current training Co-director, William Weston M.D. assuming a senior advisor role. Dr. Norris will continue to develop the collaborative interactions critical to this institutional training grant in the future. In the past three training periods 24 of 26 graduates entered full time academic careers and 18 are currently retained in full time academic dermatology. There is one still in training. The training faculty will be enlarged to 9 M.D. & 3 Ph.D. training faculty to include more senior scientists including the Chairman of Cell and Structural Biology, the Director of the Denver Autoinimunity Center and the Head of Human Medical Genetics and the current Editor of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Previous trainee supervisors in the Department of Immunology, the Department of Pharmacology & Divisions of Rheumatology, Medical Oncology and Infectious Diseases of the Department of Medicine are included. The training faculty each have independent funding ($15.4 million for 2001-02, and have each demonstrated successful mentoring of past trainees leading to academic careers. Research areas of interest include: cutaneous molecular virology, melanocyte biology, molecular genetics, melanoma, nonmelanoma skin cancer, oncogenes, cytotoxic mechanisms and programmed cell death, leukotrienes, cytokines including IL1, T cell receptors, photoimmunology, cell signaling and cell surface receptors. Facilities and equipment available to trainees have been upgraded. By 2003, trainees will move to the new University of Colorado Cancer research building with over 7,000 of wet laboratory space available for the dermatology portion of the program with immediate adjacency within the Cancer Center. It is proposed that both Ph.D. and M.D. candidates be included with two trainees recruited each year. All trainees should have demonstrated they are capable of a career in academic dermatology or cutaneous biology. Four essentials of training are proposed: Formal course work, seminars, individual research projects and training in 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 select a project of their own interest or from among a broad list presented to them by the training supervisors. Communication skills of the trainees will be emphasized with specific training in scientific writing and presentations supervised by Drs. Lee & Weston.
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