Message from the Core Director
Medical science in the 21st century is increasingly compelled to attack complex healthcare problems whose solutions require a multi-disciplinary team approach, rather than the traditional individual PI driven model. To foster this new research paradigm, there must be major changes in the educational process that will encourage team-oriented projects, enhance communication between team members from different discipline backgrounds, develop leadership skills, and provide the foundation for broad understanding of pertinent scientific, medical, and regulatory issues. Transforming the current culture of individual PIs, discipline-specific research training, and institutional silos into a new model of team-oriented, multidisciplinary research groups functioning across schools, colleges, and institutions requires a coordinated and creative effort by the TAMHSC and its partners. It is critical that biomedical science institutions create mechanisms to produce a new breed of investigator who is capable of shepherding scientific discoveries from the bench through clinical trials to community application. Our Education Core will promote development of clinical and translational researchers across a wide range of individuals from undergraduates to community healthcare personnel. In conjunction with TAMU we have access to unique resources that provide training opportunities unavailable at most health science centers.
Van G. Wilson, PhD
Professor and Vice Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine
Mission
The CSTR Education Core mission is to transform the research culture of the Texas A&M Health Science Center by developing innovative educational systems that provide the skill sets and mentoring opportunities to promote successful clinical and translational science among the breadth of our constituency from undergraduates to faculty to community practitioners and allied health professionals. Our specific objective is to educate and train a wide range of students, scientists, and health-care professionals in the tenets of clinical and translational research.
Key features of our program will include:
- Longitudinal training opportunities available to undergraduates, faculty, and community healthcare professionals
- Integration of educational and research resources across all components of the Texas A&M Health Science Center, our clinical affiliates, Texas A&M University, and our community partners
- Team-driven projects and mentoring
- Heavy emphasis on information technology and distance education modalities to provide accessible training and interaction across our geographically dispersed campuses
Organization of the Education Core
