Training in Research on Vascular Inflammation and Injury

This program is designed to train pre- and postdoctoral scientists in basic and translational research, focusing on vascular inflammation and associated disease or injury in the heart, brain, lung, kidney, gut, and placenta. As all tissues are connected via blood vessels and lymphatics, inflammatory responses in the circulation play a

central role in the onset and progression of multiple organ dysfunction and pathologies, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, arrythmia, myocardium infarction, acute respiratory distress syndrome, stroke, preeclampsia, neurodegenerative disorder, traumatic brain injury, and sepsis. The recent discovery of vasculitis as a leading

cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with COVID-19 further accentuates the need for future research to decipher molecular/cellular mechanisms and identify diagnostic/therapeutic targets for vascular inflammation. The goal of this program is to provide comprehensive training in research focusing on the molecular and cellular

basis of inflammation and related organ injury, taking advantage of our faculty's nationally recognized expertise in inflammation research and vascular biology. The mentoring faculty consist of 20 mentors from 7 departments across 6 inter-departmental programs or research centers, 7 of whom hold MD/PhD degrees and 4 are practicing

physicians; all have been funded by the NIH and have extensive experience in mentoring at both pre- and postdoctoral levels. The group has already established a close collaborative relationship in research and training, evidenced by co-mentorship for graduate students, co-authorship in numerous publications and presentations,

and joint effort in grant applications. The proximity of their laboratories, along with the centralized administrative support provided by the department chaired by the program director, further enables close mentor-mentee interactions. Trainees will be selected from a large pool of PhD candidates and postgraduates in basic science

programs, as well as 14 medical residency/fellowship programs related to cardiovascular sciences. A significant portion (up to 27%) of trainees come from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups or with socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. The program design includes a comprehensive set of training modalities, featuring

a rigorous curriculum composed of didactic courses and workshops to build knowledge and competency, an intensive research project emphasizing hands-on experience and critical/innovative thinking, and a personalized development plan to equip the trainees with not only workplace survival skills but also the vision and capability

to lead independent research. Trainees will be immersed in a highly collaborative environment supported by substantial institutional resources committed to the Heart Institute, Neuroscience Institute, full-spectrum core services, bridge funding for faculty mentors, and tuition waiver and stipend supplement for trainees. In addition,

the program offers several unique opportunities for trainees to learn techniques and experimental approaches that are not commonly available elsewhere, including 3/4D intravital microscopic/molecular imaging in the blood and lymph microvasculature, and translational studies using intact, functionally viable human organs.