Translational Workforce development
Catalyzing Bench to Bedside
At the Translational Workforce Development office, we believe in the power of discovery, opportunity, and love of learning to radically transform health research and patient care. Our enthusiasm for teaching the requisite techniques extends to all scholars and faculty members. We are community-focused, multidisciplinary and team-oriented, and we look forward to becoming part of your own TWD journey!

TWD Programs
Biotility
At Biotility, a state-of-the-art, hands-on, accredited training facility in Alachua’s Progress Park, we invite learners of all levels to embrace the lab-based skills to equip themselves for exciting careers in biomedical research.

CTS Team Predoc T32
Dr. Wayne McCormack pioneered the team-training model out of a deep sense of conviction that progress propelled by many minds exceeds the progress made by one alone. PhD trainees on the TL1 work with a partner from another discipline and each leverages the other’s skillset to shed new light on their research objectives.

K12 Program
Drs Faheem Guirgis and Christiaan Leeuwenburgh from UF, and Dr. Sylvie Naar from FSU, encourage early-career faculty who have not yet landed an R01 award to apply for the K12 to receive pilot grant funding, mentorship, and copious grantsmanship feedback. K12 trainees benefit enormously from this program and can leverage their experience toward research independence.

MD-PhD Program
UF’s MD-PhD Program, sponsored by the College of Medicine and guided by Drs Mark Segal, Wayne McCormack, Ali Zarrinpar and Kristianna Fredenburg, provides tuition and stipends for eight trainees per year for eight years. MD-PhD training is engineered to lengthen and strengthen the bonds between the bench and the bedside and is a crucial component of translational discovery.

Mentor Academy
Mentor Academy, led by Dr. Roger Fillingim, is a nationally-recognized four-month program offered twice per year to UF faculty of all levels. At Mentor Academy, faculty gain exposure to many mentoring tools and perspectives. Course development is underway to offer these skills to postdoctoral and graduate trainees.

Team Science Academy
Here at the TWD, Team Science informs every aspect of our approach to binding clinicians and researchers to generate ground-breaking improvements in patient care and trainee experiences. Our support of team collaboration and multidisciplinary cross-pollination is the beating heart of our endeavors.

Training Academy for Clinical and Translational Sciences (TRACTS)
TRACTS, led by Drs. Ron Shorr, Cyndi Garvan and Terrie Vasilopoulos, prepares early career faculty for adopting a clinical and translational approach in their careers. Many initially-clinically-focused faculty have experienced profound shifts toward research and translation, thanks to TRACTS.
