UTMB WRHR Career Develoopment Center of Excellence

University Of Texas Med Br Galveston, Galveston TX

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): UTMB-Galveston and the Ob/Gyn Department respectively submit this competing application to continue our RHR Career Development Center. We have trained 5 Scholars: 3 women and 2 men--1 underrepresented minority investigator and 1 disabled investigator; all scholars were drawn from diverse clinical specialties; 3 initially had virtually no research experience; and 1 earned her PhD as a Scholar. We commit to achieving all goals as set forth by the RFA: The Department has broad-based, basic research in important women's reproductive health problems and has greatly increased both translational research and clinical research (ranks 8th in number of NIH grants awarded to Ob/Gyn departments, FY 2002). The Mentors for the WRHR Scholars, both from within the Ob/Gyn Department and from other departments, have experience training physicians who want to become independent investigators. This effect is further enhanced by Ob/Gyn Mentors having a dual appointment in the following: Anatomy & Neurosciences, Microbiology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Surgery, Psychiatry, the Sealy Center for Molecular Science, and the Marine Biology Institute. We have a group of excellent WRHR Scholar candidates, and our fellowship programs, all of which require 18 months of basic research and a Masters of Science degree, will continue to produce well qualified candidates. The research laboratories of the Ob/Gyn Mentors (equal to approximately 32,000 sq ft) are modern and well equipped as are the laboratories of the Mentors from other departments. The environment both in the Department and UTMB is supportive of developing young physicians who want research careers. Research has been of the highest priority since Dr. Anderson became the Chair 14 years ago, and some of the key personnel in this grant developed their research careers in our own Department. UTMB has demonstrated its support of this grant both by monies; increased clinical, administrative, and research space within the Department; and adherence to the 75% protected research time. Both the Department and UTMB have demonstrated their commitment to recruitment and promotion of women physicians and underrepresented minority physicians. (UTMB Medical School ranked first in United States in awarding medical degrees to Hispanics and seventh to African Americans.) We have the necessary infrastructure to successfully train young physicians to become independent investigators in areas that address important women's reproductive health concerns.