The missions of this longstanding Training Grant are to provide training in musculoskeletal research to academically gifted individuals at the post-doctoral and pre-doctoral level and to develop these individuals toward careers in musculoskeletal research. The strong interdisciplinary nature of musculoskeletal research at CWRU provides an ideal framework for developing the trainees'research prowess as well as their appreciation for the importance of interdisciplinary approaches and their interest in musculoskeletal diseases. The faculties are highly collaborative and interactive and include 35 trainers from 13 departments in the Schools of Medicine, Engineering, and Arts and Sciences. There is a healthy mixture of biological-, engineering-, and clinical-oriented trainers, further emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary approaches. Training occurs through intensive participation in a research project as well as through a rigorous curriculum of courses, seminars, and conferences. The director and co-directors are advised by a Steering Committee and an Advisory Committee that formally review the overall program as well as the progress of each trainee on a regular basis. The success of our program is best appreciated by considering the career trajectories of our former trainees. Fifteen of them are currently faculty members at medical schools across the country and eleven have developed federally-funded research programs. Additionally, eleven current and recent trainees are in various stages of their continued training and plan academic careers. Training future musculoskeletal researchers is crucial since musculoskeletal diseases are major causes of morbidity, mortality, and impaired quality of life for millions of people in the United States, which will continue to increase in frequency as our population ages.
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