Training Grants – T32s and Travel

• CCVR Sponsored - Trainee Travel Awards

The CCVR is sponsoring multiple $1000 travel stipends towards partial payment of expenses incurred by trainees while attending national scientific conference, or traveling to distant collaborating laboratories to learn new experimental methods in support of their thesis work. The travel stipends are available to current graduate students, post-doctoral trainees, and medical students. For scientific conferences, the trainee needs to be the presenting author for abstracts accepted for poster or oral presentation. The trainee must be sponsored by a CCVR faculty member, and the work must be cardiovascular based. Funds can be used for airfare, ground transportation, lodging and meals through submittal of receipts. Contact nicole7@uic.edu for additional information.

• T32 - Vascular Biology, Signaling & Therapeutics (VBST)

Primary Investigators: Jan Kitajewski, Ph.D. and Kishore Wary, Ph.D.

The goal of the Vascular Biology, Signaling, & Therapeutics training program (VBST) is to meet an imperative need to train exceptionally talented and diverse scientists engaged in interdisciplinary vascular research with translational potential. Our aims are to assure that trainees understand the human vascular system, and are thereby poised to advance translational opportunities, reduce vascular disease, and bridge the current gaps in knowledge between discovery research, drug development and therapy. The VBST is designed to be interdisciplinary, drawing on institutional expertise in four themes: Vascular Signaling, Angiogenesis & Regeneration, Neurovascular Biology and Vascular Therapeutics.

• T32 - Personalized Cardiovascular Medicine (TPIPCVM)

Primary Investigators: Dawood Darbar, M.D. and Jalees Rehman, M.D.

The major goals of the Training Program in Personalized Cardiovascular Medicine (TPIPCVM) are to equip trainees to become leaders in CV Genomics and be trained in molecular, cellular, disease and whole animal modeling and clinical and translational approaches to CVD so that this new knowledge can be translated into best evidence-based personalized CV care. We will recruit highly talented and motivated pre- and post-doctoral trainees and provide them with the highest caliber training in CV genomics stemming from existing strengths of our faculty in the Division of Cardiology and our partners at UIC. The 3 Research Focus Groups: 1) Cardiac arrhythmias; 2) Ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy; and CVD-related metabolic syndrome are highly interrelated with each other and directly linked with the central theme of Personalized CV Genomics.    The TPIPCVM sets out to train 2 pre-doctoral and 2 post-doctoral students annually. Collectively, this Training Program offers a unique training experience and fulfills an urgent need for training in personalized CV medicine.

• T32 -  Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Training (ADRD)

Primary Investigator: Orly Lazarov, Ph.D.

The Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Training Program at UIC (ADRD-TP) is designed to be interdisciplinary, drawing on institutional expertise in four themes: Basic Biology, Drug Discovery and Development Biophysics Bioinformatics and Data Science, and Clinical and Translational Research. The aim of the ADRD-TP is to address the imperative need to support the training of exceptionally talented cohort of trainees engaged in interdisciplinary research, to enhance the understanding of the heterogeneity and multifactorial etiology of ADRD, and to bridge the current gaps in knowledge between basic research, drug development and therapy. The overarching goals of the ADRD-TP at UIC are (1) To attract outstanding graduate students from a diverse range of disciplines, including computer science, bioengineering and bioinformatics, neuroscience, medicinal chemistry and drug discovery, who have interest in ADRD. (2) Provide students with rigorous, comprehensive knowledge in the fundamental science of ADRD. (3) Train students in a multidisciplinary, holistic approach, to promote integrative, divergent thinking. (4) To facilitate graduate training based on interaction between the 4 disciplinary themes of this program. Create an environment that supports ethical awareness and appreciation for diversity. (5) Build a community of scientists and mentors seeking new approaches and collaborations dedicated to a cure for Alzheimer’s disease by leveraging an intellectually diverse interdisciplinary community.

• T32 - CVD Epidemiology & Related Chronic Diseases in Minority Populations

Primary Investigator: Martha Daviglus, M.D., Ph.D.

This Training Program is designed to prepare the next generation of scientists to conduct research in the epidemiology and prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related chronic diseases in minority populations. Despite decades of research progress, the burden of CVD and related chronic diseases in the United States remains high. Moreover, there are persistent race/ethnic disparities in CVD and other chronic disease outcomes. The goal of this program is to generate a talented and well-trained group of pre- and postdoctoral (MD and PhD) researchers to improve understanding of the etiology and prevention of CVD and related chronic conditions in minority populations and to alleviate race/ethnic disparities in CVD and related chronic disease outcomes.

• D43 - Fogarty International Research Training Program on Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases and Disorders Across the Lifespan.

Primary Investigator: Dawood Darbar, M.D. (resubmission)