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Overview of Research Training
The proposed Training Program offers 2 years of postdoctoral
research training in Endocrinology and Metabolism
to MD trainees in 3 distinct areas: a) basic laboratory
research, b) the design and conduct of clinical research,
or c) translational research. Each of these areas
of research training is described in detail below.
Also, the Program offers 2 years of postdoctoral training
in basic laboratory research to individuals holding
the PhD degree in a relevant basic science. The goal
of the training provided is to prepare trainees to
pursue academic careers as independent investigators
in these areas on subjects related to endocrine and
metabolic diseases.
The funding for this program comes from institutional
sources, research funds of individual investigators,
and individual training grants by the fellows. The
largest source of funding however, is the Endocrinology
and Metabolism Training Grant funded by the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). We are proud to be funded
by the NIH for almost 30 consecutive years. The current
grant provides training funding for basic and clinical
research between 2005 and 2010. The list of training
grant faculty and their research topics and interests
are provided below.
Go to Training Grant Mentors
and their research interests
Basic Laboratory Research: The exact
format of basic laboratory research training will
vary with each trainee, depending upon his/her specific
scientific interests and the particular laboratory
or laboratories in which the training is provided.
Some trainees join the program to work with a specific
mentor, particularly those holding the PhD, whereas
others select their mentor and research project after
entering the program. In this training track, the
trainees engage in hands-on laboratory research and
have defined individual research projects conducted
under the direct supervision of their mentors. Trainees
are required to attend weekly research conferences
and seminars and workshops relevant to their training.
Clinical Research: Traditionally,
clinical research had been conducted by MD trainees
under the supervision of the clinical faculty with
most of the projects being GCRC based. A strong didactic
program for clinical research has now been included
in the Training curriculum. The University of Michigan
(UM) was awarded a Training Program in
Clinical Research by the NIH in
1998. The goal of this program is to train physicians,
dentists and other healthcare professionals in the
methodology required to conduct successful clinical
research.
Translational Research: Numerous
studies have demonstrated that advances in medical
science, such as the development of new treatments
or evidence for the benefits of broader application
of existing treatments, usually disseminate slowly
into clinical practice. Therefore, interest in translational
research has grown and over the past twenty years,
the sophistication of the methods used in translational
research has increased substantially.
The translational research track will provide trainees
with a state-of-the art program that will enable them:
a) to acquire a firm understanding of common study
designs and biostatistical methods used in translational
research; b) to obtain in depth methodological training
and knowledge of the relevant literature in their
specific area of research interest; c) with close
individualized mentoring, to gain hands-on experience
in conducting translational research as part of an
experienced research team; and d) upon completing
the training program, to embark on an academic career
in translational research and compete successfully
for external funding to support their research.
Please contact the MEND Fellowship Coordinator at (734) 615-6964 for any questions related to the Training Program.
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