T32 Training Programs

This T32 training program, which is closely associated with the University of Minnesota adult Infectious Diseases physician fellowship program, is designed to prepare MD, MD/PhD, and other post- doctoral trainees for successful careers as clinical, epidemiological, and translational investigators in Infectious Diseases.

Of the 32 total T32 trainees to date, 17 (53%) were women, 5 (16%) were under- represented minorities, and 2 (6%) have had disabilities requiring accommodations. Five fellows still are in training, and of the program's 27 graduates, 12 (44%) now have research-intensive careers with ≥75% research effort; another 8 (30%) have research-related academic careers.

The proposed T32 program will provide advanced training in state-of-the-art research focused on the mechanisms affecting metabolic healthspan and enhancing metabolic health. To achieve this goal, we will employ a multifaceted approach inspired by our past history to train four postdoctoral students (MD, PhD or MD/PhD) per year for up to 2 years per trainee. The training approach includes the following: #1 Provide trainees with the skill sets necessary to perform multidisciplinary research regarding metabolic health span, #2 Provide high quality mentorship, now involving Senior/Associate Mentors (mentor dyads) to support trainee and Associate Mentor development, #3 Provide an outstanding environment fusing research and clinical training for physician and PhD trainees, #4 Provide skill development, including the experience of writing a F32 or alternative career development grant during the second year, for trainees to thrive in academic medicine and #5 Establish programs that enhance recruitment and retention of diverse trainees. 

he overarching objective of the proposed UMN T32 program is to train physicians and scientists for research careers focused on enhancing metabolic healthspan while providing a thoughtfully-designed training environment focused on meeting the unique development needs of postdoctoral fellows as they define their career and research goals.

This training program in cardiovascular innovation is designed to teach the scientific and technical skills necessary to develop a novel idea and carry this idea through to proof of concept in man. The training program takes unique advantage of the strengths of the Lillehei Heart Institute, the University of Minnesota Cardiovascular Division, the wider community of translational medicine and entrepreneurship at the University of Minnesota, and the Twin Cities biotech, pharma, and device industries. This application will train basic and clinical scientists in an interdisciplinary environment with the goal of giving them the insight and tools to be able to successfully carry an idea from conception to implementation in man. Therefore, the major goal of this new Training Program is to provide an interdisciplinary research and training environment wherein trainees will be exposed to the continuum of technological development from conceptual idea to testing at the basic, small animal, large animal, and human levels.

The overarching objective of the training program is to train physicians and scientists for careers in hematology- related research and academic medicine. Our program philosophy is to achieve trainee success by carefully balancing sufficient structure to ensure rigor in the training experience and programmatic flexibility to accommodate the different needs of trainees. Our Training Program provides the fundamental knowledge and skills enabling trainees to adapt to new paradigms of disease, employ new technologies, and embrace the highest ethical standards. This post-doctoral training program will allow six trainees a minimum of two years of research experience.

Approximately 90% of our graduates from the past 15 years are engaged in research. Our faculty mentors are international and national leaders in hematology research, including sickle anemia, vascular biology, natural killer cell therapies, CAR T cell therapies, hematopoietic stem cell transplant, and gene therapies