Project Summary
This is a new application of the University of Colorado T32 postdoctoral training program in anesthesiology
research. The broad objective of this training program is to provide training to MD postdoctoral fellows in clinical
and basic science related to anesthesiology and perioperative medicine. We propose the training of one fellow
per year who will spend 2 years cumulative time in research in one of the participating training faculty's
laboratories or clinical research setting. We propose to recruit 2 fellows the first year to create a cohort and the
opportunity for peer mentoring. In year 3 we will again recruit 2 fellows and recruit our final fellow in year 4, for a
total of 5 fellows over the 5 year duration of the grant. The training faculty are from several departments within
the University of Colorado System, including Anesthesiology, Division of Cardiology, Cell & Molecular Biology,
Emergency Medicine, Psychology and Neuroscience at CU Boulder. Research opportunities are offered by 21
NIH-funded faculty mentors, 9 of whom are in the department of Anesthesiology, with strong records of training
postdoctoral fellows. The research opportunities are organized into three major research areas relevant to
anesthesiology 1) Neuroscience, cell injury & repair and pain 2) Clinical and Translational Drug abuse and 3)
Trauma, coagulation and cardiac physiology. We have developed a didactic program that will provide training in
research methods, presentation skills (written and oral), grant writing and responsible conduct of research. In
addition to our outstanding group of faculty mentors, we have an external scientific advisory committee and an
executive committee that will assist the Program Directors in the selection of candidates and oversight of the
training program. The specific aims/goals of the training program are:
1) Recruit outstanding anesthesiology postdoctoral fellows from a diverse background pulling from a local
and national applicant pool.
2) To develop an outstanding training program using didactic and experiential training to provide scientific
training and the practical skills needed to successfully compete for National funding and develop and
independent research career in anesthesiology.
3) Assemble a group of faculty mentors that are not only highly successful scientists, but excellent mentors
that help create a supportive mentoring environment that keeps postdoctoral fellows engaged,
enthusiastic about research and moving forward towards their career goals of becoming leading
academic anesthesiologists.