The National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Research Education grant is a flexible and specialized mechanism designed to foster the development of neuroscience researchers through creative and innovative educational programs. The overall goal of the NINDS research training and research education programs is to ensure that highly trained scientists will make future advances that lead to a reduction in the burden of neurological disease.  These research education grants allow an opportunity for medical residents and fellows to participate in an intensive 9 to 24 months of mentored research and education during their residency and fellowship years. The opportunity includes the necessary research education and training to foster successful competition for independent mentored research awards and will facilitate the transition from fellow/resident to clinician-scientist.  The Duke Neurosurgery and Neurology Department was recognized with the R25 grant in 2009 for our proposed program to facilitate these goals.

Duke’s Mission through NINDS R25 (Awarded Spring 2009)

The overall goal of this translational and clinical research training program is to ensure that a diverse group of residents and fellows in the clinical neurosciences become highly-trained clinician-scientists with sufficient knowledge of clinical investigation principles and regulations to become competent, responsible, and independently-funded investigators capable of translating basic discoveries into clinical practice. The program provides a unique and rigorous, but proven, approach to engage and educate physicians focused within the neurosciences. The program integrates didactic training within the context of the Clinical Research Training Program, a formal degree program with a thesis requirement within the School of Medicine at Duke University, and mentorship by a multidisciplinary faculty with significant experience in translational and clinical research and training. Emphasis is placed on critical interpretation of the literature, statistical methodologies, and mechanisms of funding.

 

This training program offered through the Duke University School of Medicine provides formalized academic training in the quantitative and methodological principles of clinical research for health professionals. It is designed primarily for health professionals who are training for careers in clinical research and the program offers formal courses in research design, research management, medical genomics, and statistical analysis. The degree option leads to a Master of Health Sciences in Clinical Research, a professional degree awarded by the School of Medicine at Duke University. 

 

Project – Recurrent Medulloblastoma and Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor Adoptive T Cell Therapy during Recovery from Myeloablative Chemotherapy and Hematopoeitic Stem Cell Transplantation

 

2010 - open 

Additional support for participants for the following 2 – 5 years is available and administered via administrative supplements to the NINDS R25 grant committee. Requests for supplemental funding may be to support a second year of research for an already sponsored candidate or to support new participants. If you are interested please contact John Sampson, MD, PhD john.sampson@duke.edu or Dennis Turner, MD dennis.turner@duke.edu and see the supplemental application link below.