Research Experience and Training Coordination Core

University Of Iowa, Iowa City IA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Research Experience and Training Coordination Core The Superfund Research Program at the University of Iowa (ISRP) supports investigations of the consequences of sources and exposures to all airborne polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), an important class of Superfund chemicals. The overarching objective of the ISRP Research Experience and Training Coordination Core (RETCC) is to empower and assist trainees in adopting a comprehensive systems approach to understand and address both existing and emerging environmental health problems. The rationale for the RETCC is that ISRP biomedical and environmental research projects require trainees to be broadly equipped in both their own specialized field of study as well as related fields including environmental health, toxicology, pharmacology, biostatistics, microbiology, engineering, urban planning, community engagement, and research translation. The RETCC is designed as a team composed of representatives from three different ISRP projects, the Data Management and Analysis Core (DMAC), the Analytical Core (AC), and the Administrative and Research Translation Core (ARTC) which ensures the RETCC is well-integrated in the center to support and serve the specific needs of projects and trainees. Trainees in the ISRP are post-doctoral scholars and graduate students from one of eight PhD programs (Occupational and Environmental Health, Microbiology, Environmental Engineering and Science, Biomedical Engineering, Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, Pharmacology, Urban and Regional Planning, or the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology). The specific objectives of the RETCC are to: 1) Identify, promote, evaluate, and track an interdisciplinary approach to training, 3) Coordinate opportunities for trainee participation in the Community Engagement Core and the Research Translation activities, 4) Interact with the Data Management and Analysis Core (DMAC) to provide training in data management, analysis, and data sharing, and 5) Provide opportunities to enhance trainees’ professional career development. In the last cycle XX graduate students and postdocs received training from the RETCC (YY ongoing). To build on this success, the RETCC will coordinate a unique set of courses, seminars, workshops, community outreach, and research translation experiences, so all ISRP trainees can gain insights into health effects, risk, detection, and remediation of PCBs, the needs of stakeholders and affected communities, and how to build a successful career over the 2-5 years of their training. This interdisciplinary and interprofessional training is made possible by the deep connections and collaborations that exist throughout the ISRP that enable each trainee to have a broad set of mentors and courses to be constructed that pull students together from highly varied scientific backgrounds.