Training in the Science of Health Development

Ohio State University, Columbus OH

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Health development occurs across the lifespan and requires the use of the latest scientific knowledge to promote health and wellness. However, much of health science remains cross-sectional, narrowly focused, and lacking theoretical and methodological rigor. Over the past 9 years, the Ohio State University College of Nursing T32: Training in the Science of Health Development (TSHD), has provided predoctoral research training on health development for 19 predoctoral trainees and 1 postdoctoral fellow. We have demonstrated an ability to link trainees with research intensive mentors emphasizing health across the life course. In this renewal, we will continue to provide training in the science of health development expanded to strengthen training to promote healthier outcomes. The training program builds on the research strengths of the faculty at OSU in health development across the lifespan following an ecobiodevelopmental and life course health development model. Senior faculty mentors will guide predoctoral trainees and postdoctoral fellows in their studies, working closely with them to study influences on health development, and to use this knowledge to examine ways to optimize wellness outcomes within a health development framework. Training faculty are from multiple disciplines including nursing, human science, sociology, and medicine. Faculty have active research programs related to health development, causal mechanisms, and/or health and wellness outcomes. The specific aims of the training program are to: 1) recruit and retain qualified trainees pre- and postdoctoral trainees to conduct rigorous research in the science of health development with a focus on health promotion; 2) prepare trainees to develop and implement ethical health research in the science of health development across the lifespan; 3) provide scientific grounding and research experiences with highly qualified faculty and using extensively available resources to prepare trainees for research careers; and 4) increase the number and strengthen the scientific foundation of early career nurse scientists. We propose 9 predoctoral trainees (3 post-baccalaureate trainees and 6 post-master’s trainees with 3 and 2 years of support, respectively) and 4 postdoctoral fellows (each with 2 years of support). Achievement of specific aims will occur through a combination of didactic coursework, participation in ongoing faculty research, directed research residencies, mentorship, research seminars, independent research projects, grantsmanship training, publication and presentation, and research dissemination experiences. The TSHD program will further the National Institute of Nursing Research’s (NINR) goal to support research on the science of health and wellness, which is integral to NINR’s mission as well as across the NIH and numerous governmental and public agencies, all of whom have recognized that improving health and well-being is critical to reducing the burden of illness now and in the future.