UTMB WRHR Career Development 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 WRHR Career Development Center. We have trained 9 Scholars;4 women and 5 men - 1 underrepresented minority investigator and 1 disabled investigator;all scholars were drawn from diverse clinical specialties;4 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 3rd in number of NIH grants awarded to Ob/Gyn departments, FY 2007). 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: Neurosciences and Cell Biology, Microbiology, Pediatrics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pharmacology and Biology, Surgery and Psychiatry. We have a group of excellent WRHR Scholar candidates, and our fellowship programs, all of which require 18 months of basic research and a Master of Science degree, will continue to produce well-qualified candidates. The research laboratories of the Ob/Gyn Mentors (20,000 sq ft) are modern and well equipped as are the laboratories of the Mentors from other departments. The environment both in the Department and at UTMB is supportive of developing young physicians who want research careers. Research has been of the highest priority for the past two department chairmen, Drs. Anderson and Hankins, 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 pledging money, 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. (Black Issues in Higher Education magazine has consistently identified UTMB among the nation's top granting institutions of medical degrees for underrepresented minorities.) We have the necessary infrastructure to successfully train young physicians to become independent investigators in areas that address important women's reproductive health concerns. The scholars we have trained in the last two cycles have been very productive, obtained several extramural grants, published extensively and remain in academic institutions and are now establishing their careers as clinician-scientists. In this application we request funding to continue this productive activity. PUBLIC RELEVANCE: The purpose of this application is to request funding to continue a program of mentored institutional career development for junior faculty, in women's reproductive health research. This supervised research training will assist junior faculty in their transition into productive physician scientists in the areas related to obstetrics and gynecology and its subspecialties. A well trained physician-scientist would be required to assess the clinical problem with scientific basis for its treatment.