A unique and innovative program of training in maternal and child nutrition is proposed at the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, which is the largest academic unit devoted to human nutrition in the country. Trainees (4 predoctoral and 2 postdoctoral) will be able to link knowledge from the basic biological sciences to research conducted at the population level as well as to identify and address a variety of important research questions for mothers and their children. To this end, all trainees will take the course in maternal and child nutrition that has previously trained many current and future leaders in this field as well as a course on molecular nutrition and development. Two additional courses that integrate knowledge across the breadth of nutrition are included in the core curriculum. In the short term, the proposed program will fill a major gap in training in maternal and child nutrition; in the long term, individuals trained by this program should fill a major gap in integrative research on this subject. Involved in the program is a group of 9 core faculty from the Division of Nutritional Sciences, each with differing yet complementary skills in a wide range of disciplines. Core faculty have extensive experience in maternal and child nutrition and have a successful record of training during three prior grants and a current grant from the Fogarty International Center. Also involved are a group of related faculty from many departments at Cornell. In the Division, excellent facilities are available for the proposed program, including well-equipped laboratories, a new outpatient metabolic unit, an innovative mass spectroscopy facility, and extensive support for statistical computing. Trainees also will have access to Cornell's core genomics facilities. Other programs in the Division that provide relevant activities and expertise include the Cornell Institute for Nutritional Genomics, the Program in International Nutrition, and the Cornell Food and Nutrition Policy Program.
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