The Case Investigative and Translational Dermatology (CITD) Training Program at Case Western Reserve University (Case) is based upon a tradition of collaborative multidisciplinary interdepartmental scholarly interactions reflected in both the research and educational aspects of the program. The overall goal of the program is to provide outstanding training to talented pre-doctoral students and highly qualified MD or PhD post-doctoral fellows, with the potential for success in academic investigative dermatology and cutaneous biology research. The program uniquely serves a considerable talent base which exists in the North/Central Ohio region, with four major clinical dermatology residencies, four skin-oriented research centers; P30 Skin Diseases Research Center (SDRC), Center for Medical Mycology (CMM), Harrington Discovery Institute and the Center for the Advancement of Human Health together with a rapidly expanding top-tier biomedical research environment in Cleveland. The CITD brings together 29 Senior Mentors and 7 Developing Mentors spanning 6 clinical and 6 basic science disciplines. The Faculty excels in research, have substantial NIH- funded infrastructure and a successful track record of mentoring. The training focuses on relating basic and translational approaches of skin structure, function and pathophysiology with, immunology, developmental biology, Structural Biology, Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Advanced Microscopy and Photonics, Genetics, Transgenic Modeling, Microbiology and Host Defense, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, as well as Translational Clinical Research Sciences. We bring these disciplines to bear on mechanistic questions and problems germane to cutaneous health and disease. Departmental success at the basic science level has attracted highly qualified graduate students for cutaneous biology training who have matriculated into PhD programs through the Biomedical Scientist Training Program (BSTP) and have chosen a thesis advisor from among the CITD participating Mentors. The coursework and training in research is provided by the Mentors and their home departmental programs and is complemented by CITD components including; Cutaneous Biology Didactic Sessions with the Dermatology Faculty, participation in the weekly seminar series and monthly Dermatology Grand Rounds, monthly journal club and research-in-progress meetings and mini- symposium sponsored by the SDRC as well as mentoring by a CITD faculty committee that includes Senior and Developing Mentors with independent research programs in cutaneous research. This T32 strives to meet the pressing need for MD's and PhD's who are trained in an ethical, collaborative, trans-disciplinary environment and who can apply modern research tools and systems approaches to cutaneous diseases. Individuals trained in the CITD program will be prepared to lead multidisciplinary teams that combine state-of- the-art laboratory-based science with cutting edge bioinformatics and modern clinical translational approaches. These individuals will be of high value to academia, industry and government in their unique approach to improving the outcome of patients with skin diseases. This application seeks positions for 3 pre-doctoral PhD graduate student trainees, 3 pre-doctoral Short-Term trainees, and 3 post-doctoral trainees (MD and PhD).
The CITD Program offers a unique training environment in cutaneous biology and translational research. Drawing upon numerous skin-specific programs and a diverse Mentoring Faculty who collaborate extensively in multiple programs, the CITD provides cutting edge cross-training in cutaneous research. Trainees benefit from exposure to an advanced clinical and basic science oriented mentoring Faculty with translational expertise.
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