Diabetes and ObesitY research training in kENtucky (DOYEN) - ABSTRACT The primary goal of the Diabetes and ObesitY research training in kENtucky (DOYEN) T32 program is to prepare nationally competitive predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows at the University of Kentucky for careers spanning from basic research to community interventions in the field of diabetes and obesity research. Having historically received low levels of support from NIH, Kentucky is an Institutional Development Awards (IDeA) Program state and seeks to enhance research training that serves the unhealthy populations in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. For much of the last 30 years, Kentucky has consistently ranked among the nation’s five least healthy states. To address these disparities, DOYEN trainees who focus on clinical and implementation research will have an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the often-understudied rural communities unique to Kentucky. The need for highly trained scientists capable of conducting rigorous research is critical given the increase in diabetes and obesity, both globally and in Kentucky. Integration of T0- T4 diabetes and obesity research themes—spanning basic, pre-clinical/translational, clinical, implementation, and population health—scientifically anchors the proposed program, which will challenge PhD students and postdoctoral fellows to explore innovative concepts. The DOYEN program is scientifically unique within the NIDDK T32 portfolio in that it leverages the research interests and strong funding portfolio of 20 experienced Faculty Mentors, 7 emerging mentors, and a deep pool of talented trainees from 8 colleges and 7 biomedical programs. Pre- and postdoctoral DOYEN trainees will gain valuable experience on their way to becoming exceptional leaders in the research workforce. Research careers in this area are especially attractive to the ~25% of our trainees who originate from socioeconomically challenged areas of Kentucky, where diabetes and obesity are particularly prevalent. The trainees that we recruit from this population will add diversity to the program and the future biomedical workforce. The goals of the DOYEN program are to: 1) provide outstanding trainees an innovative, multidisciplinary education that promotes essential and contemporary skills for conducting rigorous and impactful research focusing on metabolic diseases; 2) support 4 PhD students and 2 postdoctoral fellows through stipends, travel funds, workshops, and individual development plans; and 3) provide a critical mass of productive and established Faculty Mentors for T32 trainees, both one-on-one and in teams, in a scientifically rigorous, broad-based, ethics- and diversity-sensitive environment. Individualized and required training in rigorous experimental design, data science and quantitative analyses, team science, scientific presentation and grant writing will provide program-specific enrichments for T32 trainees pursuing mechanistic and intervention studies among the T0-T4 themes. Trainees who receive 1-2 years of training through this multidisciplinary DOYEN program will develop world-class research skills that prepare them for careers in innovative biomedical research that tackles complex disease processes in the diabetes and obesity field.
