NRSA Fellowship in Support of Basic Science Training Grant in Urology

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed training program will focus on research in genitoruinary disease. The training will cover the following topics: (1) Mechanism of benign and malignant growth of the prostate, urinary bladder, and kidney. (2) Etiology and treatment of urinary tract infectious diseases and prostatitis. (3) Testicular biology and male reproductive physiology. (4) Endocrinology, diabetes and related male erectile dysfunction. (5) Embryonic development and growth of urogenital organs. (6) Epidemiology and population based studies in urology. These areas are proposed because they represent significant medical problems, which require investment in manpower and expertise in research. The proposed training program will recruit qualified young physician scientists(MD or MD/PhD) and basic scientists(PhD or MD/PhD) to pursue academic careers in urology research. These trainees will work in modem facilities occupied by 14 faculty preceptors in Northwestern University. These preceptors are leading scientists in different disciplines in the field of urology. The proposed training program will recruit six trainees, who belong to three of the following four categories. Category 1 will be post-resident physician scientists, who have completed residency training and will devote one to two years in research. Category 2 will be MD urology resident fellows, who will devote one or two years during their residency solely in research laboratories. Category 3 will be postdoctoral fellows, who have completed PhD or MD/PhD degrees in a basic science field and will devote up to three years of intensive urology research. Category 4 will be pre-doctoral graduate students, who will not be funded by this grant but will study in basic mechanisms in urology diseases and to interact with other trainees. The above four categories of trainees will form a rich interactive environment, that will benefit in a synergistic manner. The opportunity to understand the basic mechanisms of urologic diseases and to work with human clinical materials by applying molecular, biochemical, and epidemiological techniques that are available within this training program will ensure the availability of an adequate outstanding manpower in urology research.