The essence of the proposal is the training of veterinarians to become intellectual leaders in comparative medicine. The primary goal is to impart the knowledge, methodological skills, and scholarly work habits which will enable trainees to conduct research to advance knowledge in biology and medicine. This is accomplished by a mentor relationship with an active scientist and full participation in a research project. The training activities are a continuation of a successful program which has been an integral part of the unit since it was established and benefits from an accumulation of training materials, a good reputation nation-wide which results in a large applicant pool, a high acceptance rate from individuals initially offered a position, and a dedicated and energetic faculty in comparative medicine. An interdepartmental program with an advisory committee composed of representatives from several departments to select trainees and provide direction is a major feature of the application. Strengths of the program include the medical school perspective and environment which ranks second in NIH extramural support, has 38 NIH-sponsored training grants, regularly sponsors a research integrity lecture series, a variety of resources, and mentors representing several disciplines in addition to the faculty in Comparative Medicine, e.g., Molecular Biotechnology, Immunology and Microbiology. Another feature of the proposal is the major revision of the currently funded program by moving the clinical training to a University-funded internship to be completed before entering the NIH-funded research training. A clerkship program for fourth-year veterinary students facilitates the recruitment of excellent trainees with national representation that includes participation from underrepresented minorities. Although the minority recruitment plan has been successful in the past, it has been revised to increase the size of the of the pool of minority candidates. Funding for six postdoctoral trainees is proposed for a period of three years each. The Regional Primate Research Center and transgenic laboratories especially noteworthy facilities associated with the training. This proposal offers an unusually rich opportunity to recruit and train the next generation of veterinary scientists in biomedical research, who are envisioned as becoming leaders in the field of comparative medicine while engaged in research, teaching, and service in an academic environment.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 26 publications
