February 24, 2005
Clinical research career program names trainees
A new career development program for clinical researchers, funded last fall by the National Institutes of Health with a $13 million grant for five years, has accepted its first group of trainees.
Dr. Richard Deyo, professor of medicine and health services, is the project director. He noted that the program is designed to train investigators for advanced clinical research, and to provide them with a range of knowledge and practical skills. Trainees may be postdoctoral researchers or junior faculty members. They are expected to remain in the program for at least two years, and possibly longer. The first year will focus on issues working with human subjects, including research design, biostatistics and the ethics of clinical research.
The UW grant is part of an NIH-wide initiative to accelerate and strengthen the clinical research process across the nation. Six other institutions have also received grants for similar programs.
The eight first-year trainees at the UW are:
Dr. Amelia Gavin, assistant professor of social work, is interested in research on depression related to obesity in minority populations , and the association between acculturation and depression. She also wants to study connections between depression and health problems such as risk of premature delivery.
Dr. Matthew Klein, assistant professor of surgery, plans research evaluating long-term functional effects of burn injuries in three areas: the palm of the hand; the chest and breast, and the foot. He is particularly interested in studying the functional and rehabilitative outcomes of specific burn treatments in children.
Dr. Victor Legner, acting instructor in the Division of Geriatrics, wants to evaluate preoperative physical functioning in order to prevent postoperative complications and debility in elderly patients having major surgical procedures. He is also interested in assessing cognitive decline after lengthy procedures and those with general anesthesia.
Dr. Bobbie Paramsothy, a fellow in the Division of Cardiology, is working on primary prevention of heart disease in high-risk groups. She is particularly interested in evaluating the impact of omega 3 fatty acids on vascular endothelial function and inflammatory markers, and examining insulin signaling pathways in endothelial cells.
Dr. Karen Foster-Schubert, acting instructor in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition, is interested in the hormones leptin and ghrelin, their influence on appetite and body weight, and how these hormones are affected by exercise and diet. She is also investigating the possibility of using magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure biological markers of body-weight regulation non-invasively in the brain.
Dr. Huong Nguyen, assistant professor in the Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems, is investigating how to improve self-care for chronic diseases, especially chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. She hopes to identify effective strategies for empowering patients to engage them more in managing their own care.
Dr. Yvonne Lin, is now a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Her research interest is understanding genetic determinants of lipid metabolism and how this might affect a person’s choice of drug treatments. She plans ongoing studies of interactions of nuclear receptors in diabetes, thyroid disease and growth regulation.
Dr. Renee Stapleton, a senior fellow in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, is interested in evaluating and improving supportive care measures in intensive care units for patients with acute lung injury and other critical illnesses. Her initial focus will be on understanding and devising nutritional interventions for these patients.
