Mentoring Patient-Oriented Research in Immune Response in Transplantation - Modified Project Summary/Abstract Section In this application for a Mid-Career Investigator Award (K24), the candidate, Dr. Ali Zarrinpar, presents a 5-year plan that seeks to support and protect the time devoted to patient-oriented research (POR) and to serving as a research mentor for junior clinical investigators pursuing POR research, such as clinical residents and junior clinical faculty. It will further allow him to continue his career development, conduct and mentor research in transplant immunobiology and immunometabolism. Consistent with the goal of supporting Dr. Zarrinpar’s career trajectory, the research aims of the project proposed will supplement his current work and allow him to extend the impact of his research program in the areas of immunosuppression and immunometabolism. The research goal of the proposal is to integrate methodology learned from model systems with human samples to learn how to use metabolic modulation to affect the immune response to ischemia-reperfusion injury, a major source of graft injury during organ transplantation. The mentoring goal focuses on continued training of undergraduate students, medical students, graduate students in biochemistry and molecular biology and biomedical engineering, dual-degree (MD/PhD) students, surgery residents, postdoctoral fellows, and early-stage faculty to conduct POR in transplant immunobiology and immunometabolism. Dr. Zarrinpar will provide training in POR methods, data analysis, data interpretation, manuscript preparation, grantsmanship, research ethics, and professional development. All of this will take place within the context of Dr. Zarrinpar’s research laboratory, which includes weekly lab meetings and one-on-one sessions with trainees. In addition, Dr. Zarrinpar provides lectures and seminars through multiple training programs at the University of Florida. His own training goal consists of coursework and training experiences in areas that are important to his career development as an investigator and mentor, particularly in the topics of immunobiology, quantitative methods, and leadership skills. These areas of training and professional development have been selected in synergy with the research aims and ongoing funded-projects in his laboratory with the overarching goal of broadening the impact of his research program and those of his mentees. In summary, the support of the Mid-Career Investigator Award (K24) will allow Dr. Zarrinpar to devote his efforts to patient-oriented research and research mentoring in transplant immunobiology and immunometabolism.
