CTSA Predoctoral T32 at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston - Training future generations of researchers to think critically and collaborate effectively in cross-disciplinary team environments is essential to the advancement of translational science in the United States. With the accelerating pace of discovery in biomedical science, the need for translational scientists is greater than ever. The goal of this predoctoral T32 application is to train six translational science researchers at the predoctoral level who will build a community of clinical and translational scientists by leveraging the multi-institutional, multidisciplinary strengths of the Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT-H). Thanks to a TL1 grant that preceded this application and was awarded as the training core of the Clinical and Translational Science Award, we have a successful track record of training a productive group of translational researchers. Former predoctoral trainees supported by the TL1 grant have been enrolled in The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (UT-GSBS), which offers rigorous discipline-specific training in a number of research concentrations, such as cancer biology, molecular and translational biology, pediatric oncology, advanced rheumatology, and neuroscience. Moreover, what sets our CCTS apart is the number of partner institutions spanning the state of Texas. In this predoctoral T32 proposal, we will continue to train leaders in translational science while integrating trainees from CCTS partner institutions. This will bring additional strength to the T32 as these trainees will draw upon various health-related trends throughout Texas. Furthermore, the training faculty and their mentees at the CCTS partner sites will bring awareness of unique research topics and collaborative opportunities to the forefront of the T32 trainee experience for those based in the Texas Medical Center (TMC). The following aims will enable us to achieve this goal: 1) Attract and retain predoctoral trainees with the potential to develop into leaders in translational science, and 2) Leverage the strengths of the unique CCTS ecosystem to train predoctoral fellows in principles of translational science. We will utilize the world-class educational and research opportunities of the TMC to carry out these aims and train translational scientists across the state. By drawing upon the trainees available at our partner institutions that grant doctoral degrees, the training program is uniquely positioned to create the translational science leaders of the future. We anticipate the predoctoral T32 program will create a valuable pool of translational scientists who are innovative, productive, and capable of addressing the health needs of a wide-ranging populace.
