CardiOvascular Digital hEalth Research (CODER) Training Program - PROJECT ABSTRACT The goal of CardiOvascular Digital hEalth Research (CODER) is to develop postdoctoral investigators with expertise in cardiovascular (CV) digital health by bringing together highly skilled and collaborative training faculty from multiple disciplines, with the ultimate goal of developing and equitably implementing novel digital health solutions that improve the diagnosis and treatment of CV disorders. and progressive environment at the UMass Chan Medical School CODER leverages the dynamic, diverse, to provide a dynamic transdisciplinary, translational research training infrastructure for postdoctoral fellows who aspire to be independent investigators and team scientists in digital health research, specifically for implementing novel solutions that will improve CV health in an equitable manner. Our program will support collaboration among trainees at the MD and PhD level, bringing patient-oriented digital health researchers, community, population, and data scientists, together with bioinformatics experts and industry to enhance and expedite advances in CV research. The program creates a novel training schema that breaks boundaries between individual disciplines to inspire innovation and creativity while leveraging digital technology as the unifying identity for all mentors and fellows. CODER’s specific aims are to: (1) Recruit and train a superb and diverse cadre of fellows with demonstrated strong interests in CODER areas within the NHLBI mission; (2) Provide an academic incubator that offers rich and inspiring mentored research experiences and fosters individualized professional development for all trainees; and (3) Sustain a pipeline of dedicated, skilled mentors at all academic ranks by promoting team-based transdisciplinary collaborations. The 1-2 year CODER training program for post-doctoral fellows (2 per year during year 1, increasing to 4 per year in subsequent years) harnesses a vibrant academic environment, highly diverse faculty and trainees, and substantial synergistic programs, infrastructure, and resources. The program is designed to maximize its trainees’ abilities to succeed in their paths toward becoming independent, innovative digital health researchers of the future. Our faculty are either current or up-and-coming leaders in their fields, which will foster intellectually challenging discourse, a firm understanding and knowledge of the principles and applications of contemporary digital health research methods, and exciting post-doctoral research. The CODER training curriculum will provide a career development program for the transdisciplinary training of MDs and PhDs based on active, team-based mentoring combined with didactic coursework. CODER physician-scientists will enable trainees to engage with leaders in adjacent clinical sites to better understand the challenges and opportunities for application of digital health technologies to improve health. The CODER faculty mentors further serve as role models and provide attractive opportunities for women, economically disadvantaged and underrepresented minorities to encourage the pursuit of careers in the burgeoning field of digital medicine and scientific research. These goals align with the NHLBI strategic vision and societal needs.
