RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAM IN DIABETES AND OBESITY Diabetes mellitus is reaching epidemic proportions in the US and there is an urgent need to increase research in this area. The goal of the program is to provide training to young researchers, at both the pre-doctoral and post-doctoral stages of their careers, in research that is relevant to diabetes, metabolism, and obesity. The Indiana University School of Medicine is an outstanding forum for such an initiative. It houses the Indiana University Diabetes Research and Training Center, which is in its 25th year of existence. The School recently created a Center for Diabetes Research whose goal is to foster research in basic science Departments. Sixteen faculty from four Departments will participate as mentors in the program. This group of faculty has a strong training record and has approximately $4,000,000 of external funding. The program will grow to support three pre-doctoral students and two post-doctoral fellows at steady state. Pre-doctoral students will take a new Minor in Diabetes and Obesity which includes a 3 credit Diabetes and Obesity course that has been recently developed. Post-doctoral fellows will also take the course. Both students and post-doctoral fellows will attend Center for Diabetes Research seminars, will present their results in the same series, and will be encouraged to present their work at national meetings such as the American Diabetes Association scientific sessions. Additionally, they will take the Research Ethics course (G504). By training in an environment and culture that gives strong multi-disciplinary support for diabetes research, there is a significant probability that the trainees will sustain an interest in diabetes, even as their specific research interests evolve over their careers.
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