Interdisciplinary Research Training in Health and Aging

University Of Michigan At Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract The proposed program, “Interdisciplinary Research Training on Public Health and Aging” (IRTHA) seeks a five- year continuation of the current award, which was originally funded in 2008 and renewed most recently in May 2020. The IRTHA program provides interdisciplinary research training in the structural, social, and behavioral determinants of later-life health outcomes, and their relationships with the biological mechanisms associated with aging. This training is achieved through a four-part training model: (1) didactic coursework that provides an interdisciplinary foundation in conceptual models, study designs, and analytic approaches in public health and aging research; (2) engagement in mentored research projects, supported by a network of committed mentors from a range of disciplines, (3) training in the use of population-based aging datasets, including activities that connect trainees with other early-career aging researchers supported by complementary programs and centers at the University of Michigan; and (4) professional development in the collaboration, communication, and leadership skills essential for productive research careers in the field of aging. The IRTHA training program has its disciplinary foundation in social epidemiology, while emphasizing collaboration with other disciplinary perspectives, including other public health sciences, social sciences, biological sciences, and medical sciences. IRTHA is housed within the Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health (CSEPH) at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and is supported by a network of 20 Faculty Mentors from diverse fields with well-established research and training records. IRTHA trainees further benefit from connections with all six NIA- funded P30 Aging Centers at the University of Michigan. IRTHA has a long-standing record of successfully recruiting outstanding trainees who have made strong professional progress. To-date, a total of 24 predoctoral trainees have participated in IRTHA, 4 of whom are currently enrolled in the program, 2 of whom have completed the program and are still in doctoral training, and 18 of whom have graduated from their doctoral programs. Of these 18 graduates, 17 (94%) have pursued research careers, with the majority in a tenure-track academic position (59%). The IRTHA program has regularly been oversubscribed with strong applicants and has a robust eligible applicant pool. In this renewal, we thus seek to increase from 8 to 12 total predoctoral trainees over the five-year project period. Trainees will be enrolled in the program for 2 years each, with 3 (increased from 2) new trainees being recruited in each of the first 4 years of the program. Graduates of the IRTHA program are and will be poised to lead productive research careers that push forward the state of science on aging and pursue answers to some of the most pressing public health challenges facing our rapidly aging population.