Advanced Immunobiology Traning Program for Surgeons

Project Summary/Abstract This training grant application seeks continued funding for the Advanced Immunobiology Training Program (AITP) in the Duke University Department of Surgery. We developed this program to provide aspiring academic surgeons with a means of obtaining advanced immunobiological training. Our goal is to produce individuals who understand the immune underpinnings of surgically relevant diseases and, in doing so, create surgeon-scientists who view immune manipulation as an important adjunct to, and possible replacement for, the surgical manipulation of tissues. The training program combines the substantial academic rigor of the Duke University School of Medicine with the Duke Department of Surgery’s longstanding commitment to training the next generation of surgical clinician-scientists. The program is co-directed by an academic surgeon and a basic sciences researcher, each with formal expertise in immunology. It offers formal training with a diverse group of 20 mentors, each with expertise in basic, translational, and/or clinical aspects of immunology across a wide array of applicable topics, including cancer biology, auto-, allo-, and xeno-immunity, vaccinology, and basic mechanistic immunological pathways. This multidisciplinary team is uniquely qualified to merge basic and applied immunobiology with evolving surgical practice. Program participants consist of postdoctoral trainees who have completed medical school and have already entered surgical residency. At least six individuals will be trained during the proposed funding period. Based on individual development plans, each trainee chooses to participate in either a two-year training program, which can include coursework leading to a Master of Health Sciences degree in Clinical Research, or a three-year training program including coursework in pursuit of a PhD in Immunology. Trainees who already have their PhD in immunology are offered formal post-doctoral training opportunities, which are often missing in the training of surgeon MD-PhDs. Guided by their mentors, trainees have access to a structured didactic curriculum transitioning to a mentored research experience, as appropriate for each trainee’s prior experience. A robust research infrastructure and substantial departmental resources support the students, facilitating their conduct and publication of original investigations with complete protection from clinical service. Specific instruction in technical aspects of immunological investigation is provided, as is formal mentorship in scientific writing, publication, ethics, and clinical time management. Specific focus will continue to attract a diverse group of trainees to this highly rigorous program, equipping a select group of surgeons with a unique and highly contemporary skill set to approach surgical diseases.