T Team- NIH Training Programs

Led by Dr. Stephanie Karst, the BMID T32 supports 6 PhD students, each for 2 years, while they explore the molecular mechanisms of infectious disease. Now in its 38th year, this T32 is one of UF’s oldest and has supported the training of hundreds of students.

Established by Dr. Gordon Mitchell in 2017, the BREATHE T32 supports 3 PhD and 3 Postdoctoral trainees in respiratory research. Trainees have clinical and research mentors, and focus their studies around respiratory neural and muscle plasticity for those patients suffering compromised breathing capacity, stability and airway defense.

Dr. Chenglong Li developed this training program to equip a diverse, expanding and talented pool of professional researchers with the skills to pursue successful careers in the biomedical workforce. It supports 4 PhD trainees, but its programs and features have a positive impact on a much larger scale.

Drs Mark Atkinson and Benjamin Keselowsky designed the T1D T32 to advance the production of innovative therapeutics for T1D care. By blending medical knowledge and engineering technology, they also hope to produce trainees capable of finding means to prevent/reverse the disease. The T1D T32 supports 4 PhD trainees, each for 2 years (unless they win an F award, as many do!).

One of UF’s newest training programs, led by Drs Gilbert Upchurch and Scott Berceli, provides a rich research training environment for 4 Surgical Residents. The goal of the program is to train future academic surgical faculty poised to develop cures and prevention strategies for vascular diseases.

Drs Dawn Bowers and David Vaillancourt are training the next generation of investigators to address the impacts of Parkinson’s Disease, dystonia, and ataxia. Their T32 harnesses new technology like AI along with UF’s established research and clinical settings to offer each of 6 PhD trainees an unparalleled window into the etiology and treatment of these conditions.

Drs Michael Marsiske, Adam Woods, and Glenn Smith facilitate the training of 6 PhD students in non-pharmacological interventions for cognitive aging (CA), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease. Now in its 18th year, this T32 has launched many research careers at government and academic institutions nationwide.

The 4 PhD trainees supported by this T32, under the leadership of Dr. W. Clay Smith, research current issues in clinical ophthalmology. These studies are enhanced by their exposure to molecular and cellular biology, genetics, biochemistry, biomedical engineering, and machine learning.

UF’s oldest training program provides intensive, short-term (2.5 month) training in research for 20 first year medical students (MS1s) whose projects focus on heart, lung, and blood topics. Now led by Drs Scott Berceli and Matt Gurka, the T35 helps expose new MD students to the wide world of UF research.

The Chemosensory T32 was awarded to Dr. Steven Munger in 2018. It supports 4 predoctoral trainees focused on the study of the chemical senses. Trainees focus on the myriad ways in which smell and taste influence behavior, and are uniquely positioned for careers in academia and/or industry.

Awarded to Dr. Todd Manini in 2020, this relatively young T32 addresses the multi-factorial causes and consequences of age-related changes in mobility. 4 Postdoctoral trainees learn to design multi-modal interventions to prevent and rehabilitate mobility impairments in older adults.

Florida ranks second in the nation for new HIV infections per year. This training grant, jointly administered by 3 Health Science Center colleges, trains 4 PhD and 2 Postdoctoral trainees in strategies to reduce the role of alcohol in HIV transmission, and in poor health outcomes for HIV-positive people.