Sunday, May 11, 2025
5/11/2025
Clinical Pharmacology Training Program - Project Summary The discipline of Clinical Pharmacology seeks to apply an understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of drug action to improve the therapy of human diseases. The Division of Clinical Pharmacology at Vanderbilt offers an outstanding research-based, postgraduate fellowship program committed to training future leaders in the discipline. The mentoring faculty includes 16 members of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology, along with 17 members of other divisions or departments. Collaborations among investigators focusing on common research themes are well-established in the Division; this includes a strong focus on pharmacogenetics Collaborative efforts exist in pediatrics, cardiology, rheumatology, bioinformatics, genetics, and nephrology among others. The primary activity of trainees is research training in a mentored setting on questions directly relevant to drug action in man. Research can vary from bench-based translational work to clinical studies. The duration of training is 2-3 years. In the ~4 ½ year period since the last competitive renewal, 17 new trainees were appointed to the training grant: 11/17 were women (65%) and 4/17 (24%) belonged to an under- represented minority population group. Of the 17 fellows supported, 11 had an MD or equivalent degree (65%), 3 dual MD/ PhD (18%), 1 Pharm D (6%), and only 2 with a PhD (12%). 4/12 fellows that graduated from the program have received K-awards from NIH (33%). Research training under the direction of individual faculty mentors is supplemented by didactic course work and seminars. Required courses of trainees include research ethics, responsible conduct of research, biostatistics and study design, drug regulation and development, and pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. In addition, attendance at Clinical Pharmacology Grand Rounds and a weekly Fellows Lecture Series is required. This curriculum supplements the trainees' research experience and provides a broad knowledge base that will allow for fellows to develop into successful leaders in Clinical Pharmacology. There is a strong emphasis on teaching the principles of reproducible research. The excellence of the training program has resulted in substantially more applicants than positions. Growth of clinical pharmacology at Vanderbilt offers unique opportunities to further enhance the training program. Such growth includes the Oates Institute of Experimental Therapeutics that focuses on pharmacogenetics and personalized medicine; the Vanderbilt Center for Bone Biology; and the Vanderbilt Center for Arrhythmia Research and Therapeutics (VanCART) - all components of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology. The overall mission of the Vanderbilt Clinical Pharmacology Fellowship Program is to train investigators who will ultimately assume leadership positions in the discipline; it has been highly successful in this mission. Of trainees supported by the award in the past 15 years, approximately 88% are in academic medicine, industry, or government. Clinical Pharmacology at Vanderbilt is a vibrant and dynamic enterprise supported by a training program that is continually evolving to better meet the needs of its trainees.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).