Pulmonary Genetic Medicine Training Program

Weill Medical Coll Of Cornell Univ, New York NY

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This renewal application is to continue supporting our successful Pulmonary Genetic Medicine Training Program for postdoctoral fellows at Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC) that will complete its first five-year period of funding by NHLBI August 31, 2014. The Pulmonary Genetic Medicine Training Program is an inter-departmental and inter-institutional collaborative effort with a faculty of experienced investigators at WCMC and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). The goal of the Training Program is still to provide MD, PhD and MD/PhD trainees interested in pulmonary biology and medicine with a multi-disciplinary training in genomics and gene expression, gene therapy, stem cells, metabolomics, statistical genetics and computational science, epidemiology, ethics and regulatory affairs. The Training Program will continue to support 6 postdoctoral trainees, each for up to 3 years. Under the direction of Ronald G. Crystal, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Genetic Medicine, the Program has grown and currently incorporates 26 faculty members. Dr. Crystal will continue to be assisted by 4 Associate Directors, an internal Executive Committee, a Committee on Recruitment and Retention, and an External Advisory Committee. In addition, Fernando Martinez, Professor of Medicine, will be Deputy Director to assist Dr. Crystal in management of the program. In the past 5 years, we have recruited 12 trainees for 6 postdoctoral slots. To date, the 12 trainees have published 45 peer-reviewed papers including 17 first-authored. They all had the opportunity to present their research (28 first-author abstracts) at national and international conferences. Of the 12 trainees, 4 have gone on to junior faculty positions, 2 have gone back to finish clinical training and 6 have continued in post-doctoral training. Of the 4 at the faculty level, 1 successfully obtained a grant from the National Foundation for Cancer Research, 1 has applied for a NIH Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) and 2 are currently working on a grant submission to the NIH. Among the 12 trainees, 1 was from an underrepresented minority of Hispanic origin, now a faculty member, 3 are of Asian ancestry and 6 are women. Besides the existing educational opportunities that were in place at WCMC and MSKCC at the time of the first cycle submission, we instituted a highly successful Pulmonary Genetic Medicine Didactic Course created for our trainees, open for the entire WCMC and MSKCC communities. This renewal proposal seeks continued support for the growth of the Pulmonary Genetic Medicine Training Program.