To reduce the enormous public and personal costs of diabetes and endocrine disorders, there must be a new generation of clinical investigators, rigorously trained in clinical research and epidemiology of diabetes and endocrine disorders. We propose a training program that begins with a full year of course work followed by a mentored research experience. The overall goal is to train fellows interested in diabetes and endocrinology in the disciplines of clinical research and epidemiology, preparing them for a productive academic career. At Johns Hopkins, the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, have faculty with broad professional expertise and experience in mentoring. While there is a steady flow of outstanding fellows in endocrinology and at the Welch Center, there is no support for the training envisioned by this proposal. We propose to admit two post-doctoral and one pre-doctoral fellows per year, to a steady state of 4 post-doc and 3 pre-doctoral positions. Physician fellows will be drawn from Endocrinology and Internal Medicine. Having completed their first, clinical year, they will start the training grant program with an intensive didactic year, usually as part of the established Graduate Training Program in Clinical Investigation, a K-30 supported program offering a masters or Ph.D. degree. Pre-doctoral trainees will start with their intensive doctoral degree course work. All fellows will then join one of 17 faculty mentors to pursue original research, while continuing 3 course credits per term of didactic course work. They will be part of an active intellectual research environment that includes a full set of relevant conferences, journal clubs, and visiting lecturers. Fellows will have the benefit of outstanding clinical research facilities available at Johns Hopkins including the General Clinical Research Center, other clinical research facilities, state-of-the-art computing and bioinformatics facilities, and the broad resources of the School of Public Health. Implementation of the training program will be overseen by an Executive Committee that chooses fellows to join the program, and a Mentorship Committee that oversees the mentor-mentee assignments. The faculty, facilities, and traditions of Johns Hopkins University are prepared to proceed with this much needed mission.
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