Project Summary
The goals of the T32 Multidisciplinary Training Program in Pediatric Lung Diseases at Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia are: (1) To provide a mechanism for training by which postdoctoral fellows can pursue and
develop successful academic careers in clinical, translational, or basic research, creating a diverse pipeline of
investigators dedicated to improving child lung health; (2) To advance pediatric lung research through training
physician scientists and PhD scientists in the areas of (a) genetic and rare lung diseases, including interstitial
lung disease (ILD), cystic fibrosis (CF), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), and pulmonary vascular disease,
(b) lung injury, repair, and development, (c) asthma, inflammation and the environment, and (d) respiratory
physiology; and (3) To create a cohesive and collaborative environment among trainees and leading
investigators that promotes learning and cooperation across a spectrum of patient-oriented and basic
investigation, resulting in rigorous and high impact advances in respiratory health in children. The program is
committed to equal opportunity for its faculty, staff, and students and does not discriminate on the basis of any
legally protected characteristics. The proposed training program will provide 2-3 years of training in pediatric
lung-related research at the postdoctoral level for qualified candidates with an MD, MD/PhD, or DO degree
and 1-3 years of training for those with a PhD degree. We are requesting support for 4 post-doctoral
fellows/year. This training program is the result of a robust collaboration between research faculty members at
the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
These faculty offer mentored training in patient-oriented or basic research within the four thematic areas noted
above. The mentor-mentee relationship between research preceptor and trainee will be central to the training
experience, which will be supplemented by formal training in clinical and laboratory investigation, preparation
of grant applications, participation in a responsible conduct of research curriculum and program-wide
conferences, presentation of original research at national scientific meetings, and publication of original
research in peer-reviewed journals. Drs. Lisa Young and Sharon McGrath-Morrow are the Program Directors
and will have overall responsibility for coordination of the program, including its scientific, educational, and
administrative aspects. To support excellence in the research training of this T32 program, the Program
Directors will receive consultation from an Internal Steering Committee and an External Advisory Board. The
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has one of the largest and strongest pediatric pulmonary fellowship
programs in the country and is the oldest children’s hospital in the United States. The Program Directors have
trained many leaders in the field for Pediatric Pulmonology and are uniquely positioned to facilitate success
among postdoctoral trainees who will become physician scientists and researchers in pediatric lung-related
research.