Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality in the United States and worldwide. Understanding the biology, physiology and pathology of the heart and circulation is the foundation for improving treatment and prevention. Wayne State University has outstanding track records in providing extensive training in cardiovascular sciences, contributing a major role in research education in the region. This proposal is the first competitive renew of a predoctoral training program launched in 2014. We shall continue multidisciplinary and collaborative training effort in the education of a new generation of scientists who will pursue a career in cardiovascular research to improve healthcare and contribute to economic growth by innovations that can translate into medical practice. To provide rigorous formal research training, our program focuses on supporting predoctoral graduate students. Based on a team of 19 training faculty in 4 colleges at Wayne State University with broad and complementary scientific expertise in cardiovascular biology and diseases under continued directorship of Dr. J.-P. Jin, the Detroit Cardiovascular Training Program emphasizes preparing junior scientists with strong backgrounds in molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular health and diseases using integrative and translational approaches to scientific investigation. This continuation proposal plans to support 6 pre-doctoral training positions. Trainees will be selected from a high-quality pool of candidates, including under-represented minorities who may come from several institutional programs such as the NIH Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) program operated via the Department of Physiology. Our training faculty have strong externally funded research programs, excellent training productivity, and multiple joint research and training collaborations. This broad and collaborative research and learning environment enables us to provide multidisciplinary training in cardiovascular science through a combination of didactic courses and mentored laboratory research in areas such as cardiac muscle contractility, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, myocardial metabolism, hypertension, vascular biology, and cardiovascular regulation and adaptation. The training also includes comprehensive instruction in the responsible conduct of research and exploration of diverse career development as well as writing and presentation skills for effective publications and competitive fellowship and research grant applications. Operation of the training program will be monitored by an Advisory Committee and in consultation with external advisors. Exceptional institutional commitments including dedicated financial support will continue to support our program, including full scholarship support for entering PhD students in multiple departmental programs prior to joining the T32 training. The Department of Physiology office will absorb the personnel and accounting management cost of this university-wide training program.
Cardiovascular diseases are leading causes of deaths in the United States. The Detroit Cardiovascular Training Program at Wayne State University is a unique NIH/NHLBI program in the region to provide predoctoral graduate students with integrative research training in basic and translational cardiovascular science. This training effort will contribute in significant ways to the education of a new generation of scientists who will pursue biomedical research to improve healthcare and make medical innovations in Detroit and in the nation.
