Tulane receives $1.67 million NIH grant to expand physician-scientist training
Tulane University has received a $1.67 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to expand its dual degree medical and PhD program (MD-PhD) and train more physician-scientists to turn biomedical discoveries into better patient care.
The goal of the new Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) is to increase Tulane’s annual class of MD-PhD students from a total of 14 trainees to 28. The NIH grant will be used to support an increase in annual enrollment and build on the success of the existing Physician Scientist Program.
The program is co-directed by Jay Kolls, MD, professor of medicine and pediatrics and the John W. Deming Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine, along with Heddwen Brooks, PhD, Professor and Chair in the Department of Physiology.
”This grant adds to our existing mechanisms to support physician-scientist career development at all stages,” said Kolls. “It also builds on our other programs that support physician scientists, such as our R38 program during residency and the Dean’s Faculty Physician-Scientist Pipeline Program for junior faculty”
The dual-degree students will be able to conduct mentored research with faculty across the School of Medicine, the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and the School of Science and Engineering.
The interdisciplinary program will prepare students to investigate diseases and health challenges in areas such as infectious diseases, immunology, cardiovascular and kidney diseases, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and stroke. Training will include clinical education, laboratory and computational research, scientific communication, mentorship, and grant writing.
“Many of our top students leave Louisiana to enter MSTP programs at institutions on the east and west coasts of the US,” said Brooks. “Funding from NIH will allow us to retain the best students in Louisiana, recruiting them to our MD-PhD program.”
Tulane plans to recruit students nationally while strengthening pathways for undergraduates from New Orleans and the Gulf South. Through partnerships with institutions including Dillard University, undergraduates can gain research experience in Tulane laboratories and receive mentorship from current MD-PhD students.
Tulane established its Physician Scientist Program in 2002 to support two students each year. More than 90% of its trainees have remained in academic research/medicine, and several have received independent research funding.
By expanding the program, Tulane aims to develop a larger and more broadly trained physician-scientist workforce capable of advancing biomedical research and improving health outcomes in Louisiana and across the country.
