Multidisciplinary Training in Digestive Diseases

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT In this renewal application of an established (47 years), successful multidisciplinary training program in Digestive Diseases, we will continue to train qualified postdoctoral individuals (M.D., and/or Ph.D.) for academic careers in digestive diseases. Our interdisciplinary, full time faculty of 40 scientists supports two tracks for potential trainees: i) basic/disease-oriented research; and ii) patient-oriented research. The basic/disease-oriented track remains one of long-standing excellence with training opportunities in mucosal immunology, cell biology, enteric neurosciences, liver pathobiology, and new opportunities organized around regenerative medicine/stem cells, transcription/epigenetics, microbiome and artificial intelligence and informatics. Training in this track is strongly supported through interactions with the NIH funded Mayo Comprehensive Cancer Center, Basic Science Departments at Mayo Clinic, and the NIH P30 Digestive Disease Center grant. The patient-oriented track, which is educationally buttressed through the Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCaTS), maintains training opportunities in biomedical ethics, clinical innovation and entrepreneurship, clinical trials, individualized medicine, and quantitative research methods. Additional concentrations in artificial intelligence, geroscience, health disparities and community engagement and health policy are forthcoming, as new areas of institutional focus. We continue to request support for 5 postdoctoral trainees/year that are selected through objective and consensus-driven mechanisms from a talented annual pool of approximately 100 M.D., Ph.D., or M.D./Ph.D. candidates derived from a variety of clinical and basic disciplines. The overall success of the program continues to be outstanding with 88% of trainees from the most recently completed 10-year cohort (n=26) entering into a research intensive/related positions and a funding portfolio from this cohort that includes 15 new federal grants (8 K series, 2 R series, 5 P30 pilots). Understanding the positive impact of diversity on the training environment and outcomes, we are currently experiencing our most diverse chapter in our history. Over the current reporting period 50% of the trainees are women and 19% of appointments were filled with applicants of Diverse Backgrounds. Institutional support also continues to be strong and well documented. Thus, this highly established training program remains creative, innovative, and dynamic, thereby continuing to be highly successful in achieving its goal of training individuals for academic careers in gastroenterology and hepatology.