This application is the competitive renewal of the Principles in Cardiovascular Research Training Program (T32-HL007081) at Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM). The program, which began in 1975, has had a strong record of training postdoctoral fellows who are committed to careers in cardiovascular research. The current application, which seeks support for 6 MD, MD/PhD or PhD postdoctoral trainees per year, incorporates a number of new programmatic features developed to enhance the training mission, as will be detailed herein. The goal of this training program is to develop independent cardiovascular scientists who are trained to utilize basic and/or applied principles of clinical cardiovascular research to improve outcomes of patients with cardiovascular disease. The centerpiece of the program remains the commitment to a sustained period of research training (2 years) that focuses on a research project supervised by a faculty mentor who has (1) a proven track record of mentoring and training postdoctoral fellows and (2) the resources to support the work conducted by postdoctoral fellows for the duration of the appointment in this training program. A hallmark of the program is the recognition that true mentoring and skills development need to be individualized. There are presently 24 faculty preceptors from seven different Departments in the Medical School and the Danforth campuses, and from six different divisions within the Department of Medicine. All of the faculty participants in this program are committed to excellence in cardiovascular research and to the training, mentoring and professional development of postdoctoral trainees to prepare these individuals for independent, productive careers at the forefront of cardiovascular disease-focused research. New to this application, the training faculty has been organized into four thematic research areas: genetics; cardiac and electrical remodeling of the heart; vascular pathobiology; and cardiac imaging. The program training faculty bring expertise in biochemistry; biostatistics; bioengineering; epidemiology; cardiovascular medicine; cell, molecular, and vascular biology; computer sciences; pathology; pharmacology; physics; physiology; and radiology. The training faculty are well-funded, interactive, collaborative, and productive investigators committed to providing the training, experience, resources, intellectual enthusiasm, and mentoring needed to facilitate the scientific and professional development of the trainees. The didactic aspect of this training program provides lectures and hands on workshops in the Responsible Conduct for Research and Ethics, as well as a Core Curriculum in Cardiovascular Research that complements the four research themes of the training program. In addition to the research training provided, the trainees participate in the weekly Trainee Research Seminar series and the Cardiovascular Research Seminar series, as well as our annual Cardiovascular Research Day Symposium.
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. The key objective of this multidisciplinary research-training program is to develop independent cardiovascular scientists who are trained to utilize basic and/or applied clinical cardiovascular research principles to improve outcomes of patients with CVD. Through this program, M.D., Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. postdoctoral trainees are mentored by established investigators who are actively involved in high-impact cutting edge cardiovascular research.
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