The Department of Urology at the University of Florida has trained many outstanding academic urologists for more than fifty years. The current proposal is dedicated to establishing a new and transformational effort to educate both MD and PhD trainees through an intense laboratory or clinical investigation-based educational program designed to provide them with the essential intellectual foundation to become successful independently-funded investigators. For clinical investigators, formal didactic training through CTSI in epidemiology, biostatistics, clinical trials design, critical appraisal of medical literatue, and data base management form the basis of the training agenda. For PhDs, the building of bridges to basic science and the development of interdisciplinary translational research teams is a major focus. This program comprises more than twenty exceptional training faculty falling into four thematically-related scientific groups focused on problems pertinent to the field of urology. These groups are urolithiasis and metabolic disorders (Drs. Khan, Benjamin Canales, Brown, Weiner, Limacher), stem cells and regenerative medicine (Drs. Steindler, Scott, Reynolds, Terada) immunology/inflammation (Drs. Clare-Salzler, Vieweg, Moldawer, Chegini), functional genomics and cell signaling (Drs. Johnson, Daaka, Wood, Conrad, Stacpoole, Nie, Shenkman). In addition to these preceptors, clinical advisors will assist with mentoring and day-to-day functioning of the training grant program (Drs. Su, Muna Canales, Bird, Gilbert, Dahm, Moy, Yeung, Stringer). As will be demonstrated, considerable interaction and collaboration already exists between the members of this training grant faculty and all have distinguished records as educators and NIH-funded investigators. We have successfully created a superb environment for high quality education in the basic, applied and clinical sciences relevant to the study of urologic diseases for both the MD and PhD trainee at the University of Florida.
Urologic diseases impact millions of Americans on an annual basis and leads to significant morbidity and mortality. This new T32 Training Grant will develop a new cadre of well-trained, academic urologists who through translational research will improve our understanding and treatment of non-cancerous urologic disorders.
