My objective is to develop a clinical research program in transplantation that focuses on transplant immunology and transplant pharmacology/pharmacogenomics, and that prepares the next generation of clinical investigators in this area. Three projects are proposed, which together will require approximately 25% effort. Project 1 and 2 have federal funding project 3 will partially depend on funding obtained by this grant. Project 1: Minor Histocompatibility Vaccination After Allo-Transplant. (1R21 CA 101337-01, Quick trial, PI, Koen van Besien) Project 2: Busulfan conditioning: optimization, kinetics, genomics (1R21 CA115097-01, Quick trial, PI, Koen van Besien) Project 3: NKT cell biology and functions in the transplant setting. The three projects address complementary clinical questions in transplant and are not overlapping. Each have translational as well as clinical components and all projects maximally utilize the current research infrastructure and experience at University of Chicago. They provide excellent opportunities for mentees to design, conduct and interpret clinical and correlative studies. These projects are therefore well suited to prepare the next generation of researchers who will require the ability to integrate clinical and laboratory research. My mentoring efforts require approximately 25% effort. They will parallel the specific aims of this protocol and will center on positions for clinical research, lab research in pharmacology/pharmacogenomics and lab research in immunology. Several junior faculty are already being mentored. They include two clinical investigators and one pharmacologist. Plans for K23, K08 or dual PI R21 are outlined for each. I anticipate dual mentorship by myself and by another senior faculty with different expertise for each of these investigators. Throughout the course of the grant I will identify new potential investigators through the fellowship, residency and medical student program, where I have been very active in teaching and mentoring.

K24CA116471

2007-08-10

2013-07-31