During the first year the Fellow is exposed to the ongoing research at UNC through a number of conferences including the Divisional Research Conference, Epithelial Biology Conference, and Clinical Research Conference. In the fall of the first year, each Fellow meets with the program directors to discuss their research interests and career goals, and the research opportunities that will best serve the Fellow in achieving his or her career goals. Over the winter the Fellow is introduced to prospective mentors, and by spring a research mentor is chosen and a research plan formulated. During the fellowship each Fellow develops and executes, with the help of a faculty mentor, a basic or clinical research project. Fellows are trained in grantsmanship and are guided in the 1) submission of applications for extramural funding, 2) presentation of their work at the American Thoracic Society International Conference, 3) submission of manuscripts to peer-reviewed scientific journals, and presentation of their work through seminars at the Division Research Conference. UNC has held an active NIH T-32 Fellowship Training Grant for more than 32 years, supporting the development of future investigators in Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine.
Research in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at UNC is conducted out of 5 distinct centers described below. Research programs investigating the pathogenesis and treatment of asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, PCD, pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonia, lung cancer, lung transplant rejection, acute lung injury and pulmonary hypertension are active in one or several of these centers.
Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma, and Lung Biology (CEMALB)
Together with EPA colleagues in the Human Studies Facility on the UNC medical campus, investigators in the CEMALB conduct translational studies on the effects of common environmental pollutants on asthma pathogenesis and lung health, and the effects of novel therapeutic interventions for asthma. UNC is one of 16 Asthma and Allergic Disease Centers funded by the NIH.
Cystic Fibrosis/Pulmonary Research and Treatment Center (CF-PRT)
Originally developed to study the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis (CF), this center has developed into one of the world’s largest research centers in epithelial cell biology. Research involving all aspects of airway epithelial biology is conducted in this center, housed on 5 floors of the Thurston-Bowles Building. Recently research programs in have been established. Research in the CF-PRT is supported by a program project grant (PPG) and a Specialized Center for Clinically-oriented Research (SCCOR) grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Lung Disease Models Center (LDMC)
The LDMC investigates disease pathogenesis using murine models of human lung disease. Established models include asthma, environmental asthma, allergic rhinitis, pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, pneumonia, acute lung injury/ARDS and pulmonary hypertension. Targeted over-expression and deletion of candidate genes and pharmacological agonists/antagonists are used in combination to identify new pharmacological targets. Mechanistic studies complementing translational and clinical studies in other centers are also a major activity of this center.
Center for Airways Disease
The new Center for Airways Disease is led by Claire M. Doerschuk, M.D. Our goal is to further our conceptual and mechanistic understanding of diseases that affect the airways of the lungs, particularly smoking-related diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer, as well as lung infections, including pneumonia. The Center’s mission is to stimulate research that defines airways disease at a molecular level, enabling early diagnosis, prognosis and personalized treatment of patients with these lung diseases. The ultimate goal is to translate research findings into better care for residents of North Carolina and throughout the nation, addressing both the disease predictors and therapies and the social and behavioral aspects of these diseases through the tools of individualized medicine.
Clinical Trials Center
The UNC Pulmonary and Critical Care Division conducts clinical trials and outcomes research in a number of areas including asthma, COPD, CF, sarcoidosis, pulmonary hypertension, ARDS, sepsis and prolonged mechanical ventilation. As a member of the NIH-supported ARDSnet clinical trials network, we have the opportunity to participate in clinical trials of the most promising new therapies for acute lung injury. Clinical trials in critical care are supplemented by outcomes studies using longitudinal cohort models and analyses of large databases. The clinical trials group seeks to translate innovative medical ideas into useful clinical therapies and assess the impact of those therapies on patient outcome.
