December 01, 2004
Science and Medicine — Bridging the Gap
The gap between basic biology and medical practice is growing. As
knowledge in molecular genetics and cell biology accelerates, the
biomedical community is finding it increasingly hard to harness the
explosion of new information and translate it into medical practice.
Bridging the Bed-Bench Gap, a National Research Council report
published earlier this year, called training of Ph.D. researchers to
translate science to clinical medicine a “critical
need.”
To address this problem, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
will award up to $10 million to stimulate the integration of medical
knowledge into Ph.D. training. The goal is to prepare biomedical
scientists to apply new biological knowledge to human health. A better
understanding of medicine also can guide scientists in research
directions that are most likely to benefit the diagnosis and treatment
of human disease.
“Our goal is to increase the pool of people who are doing medically oriented research.”
Thomas R. Cech
“We envision a new cadre of Ph.D. researchers who understand
pathobiology and know the language and processes of medicine,”
said HHMI President Thomas R. Cech. “Our goal is to increase the
pool of people who are doing medically oriented research.”
On December 1, 2004, the Institute will open a competition for
grants for training programs that bring the knowledge and skills of
medicine and pathobiology into biomedical graduate study. Awards will
range from $400,000 to $1 million over four years. The smaller grants,
beginning at $100,000 per year, will support modification of existing
programs. Innovative new graduate programs that incorporate significant
pathobiological and medical knowledge and skills can receive up to
$250,000 a year.
“We seek creative, innovative and cost-effective solutions to
this training challenge,” said Peter J. Bruns, HHMI vice
president for grants and special programs. “We also are looking
for approaches that can serve as models for the biomedical research
training community.”
Any university in the United States that offers Ph.D. training in a
biomedical science is eligible to apply. The grants can be used to
support planning of new curricula, development of new courses, and
release of clinical faculty to participate in graduate training
activities. Student-related expenses can also be covered, including
stipend support and health insurance, travel to medical meetings,
expenses of clinical training experiences, and tuition.
“HHMI already supports two programs that give medical students
insight into the world of basic science research: Research Fellowships
for Medical Students and the HHMI-NIH Research Scholar Program,”
said William Galey, HHMI director of graduate science education.
“Basic scientists need a similar understanding of clinical
medicine.”
For more information on the new HHMI Medicine into Graduate Training
Initiative, see www.hhmi.org/grants/institutions/medintograd.html.
In another new graduate training initiative announced last month,
HHMI is partnering with the NIH's National Institute of Biomedical
Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) to support biological science Ph.D.
programs that incorporate the physical and computational sciences and
engineering. See www.hhmi.org/news/092704.html.
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Cindy Fox Aisen
