Grant: Training Grant

IMPACT focuses on training PhD and MD post-doctoral research fellows with research targeted at the role of inflammation and repair processes in pulmonary and cardiovascular disease. IMPACT aims to improve our ability to translate basic research findings into improved patient care and, accordingly, is transdisciplinary. IMPACT focuses on post-doctoral trainees because it is at this level that we can most effectively introduce PhD trainees to key clinical research issues and MD trainees to key basic research techniques and thought processes - and initiate this collaborative approach early in their careers. We accomplish this by bringing both categories of post-doctoral fellows together and ensuring that each post-doctoral fellow has both a basic and clinical IMPACT mentor. We have developed a rich curriculum to support these post-doctoral trainees and help them to excel as career scientists, a curriculum that has also attracted grad students and many others in our institutions thus providing significant broad value added to research and clinical training environments. The role of IMPACT mentors exceeds the usual post-doctoral supervisory role by contributing to the shared curriculum and by mentoring our trainees through to their initial faculty appointments. Our focus on this career step recognizes and addresses the concerning rise in age of independent investigators first obtaining peer-reviewed grant support in North American institutions and particularly targets the need for effective translation of basic research into improved clinical outcomes.