This is a competing renewal for a multidisciplinary training program in mechanisms of cardiovascular disease, based in the new Center for Vascular and Lung Pathobiology, which has the goal of drawing trainees in surgery and cardiology into basic laboratory investigation. The rationale for the program is to enhance and ensure the development of basic and clinical investigators who have broadly based knowledge in the major fields related to research in cardiovascular disease. The in-depth background and experience obtained during the training period is intended to allow fellows to embark on careers as independent investigators. There is a clear need for investigators with surgical and cardiology viewpoints to undertake such training, as clinical procedures and patient care are closely tied to advanced in research. The participating faculty is drawn from multiple Departments at the Medical Center. Many participating faculty have long-standing collaborative interactions, as well as strong training records. The training program will include research work in the laboratory of a faculty mentor, selected graduate courses, a tutorial in the research area, and didactic and work-in-progress seminar series, and evaluations by an Advisory Committee. The program includes 27 laboratories divided into four units: (1) Vascular Biology, focussed on vascular cell adaptive responses to hypoxemia or viral infections, and novel vascular receptors; (2) Inflammation- Immug Ut, which will focus on inflammatory and thrombotic mechanisms of tissue injury; (3) Genomics, which has novel genetic causes of obesity and diabetes as the prime areas for investigation; and (4) Cardiobiology, whose members will investigate coupled gating of calcium-release channels, myocardial blood flow and metabolism, ventricular mechanics and cardiac myocyte signalling cascades. Projects are brought together by a common focus on cells in the normal vessel wall, cellular elements which infiltrate in pathologic situations, such as atherosclerosis, as well as the myocardium. Research projects in which trainees will participate concern dissection of the roles of these cells in maintenance of vascular homeostasis and their participation in pathologic events underlying the formation and progression of vascular lesions. Our goal is to draw on the talents and enthusiasm of surgical and cardiology trainees in order to direct their lattention to productive longterm investigative careers.
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