# Training in Cardiovascular Translational Research

> **NIH NIH T32** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2021 · $605,154

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
This application requests continued funding for a pre-doctoral (6 slots, an increase of 2 slots) and post-
doctoral (4 slots, remains the same) training grant entitled, `Training in Cardiovascular Translational
Research'. The goal is to train future CV scientists who have expertise in bringing basic discoveries from the
laboratory into clinical practice through development of novel therapeutics. The KEY INNOVATION is a
course covering the major disciplines required for successful therapeutics discovery, validation and
development including: 1) basic mechanisms in CV diseases/target identification; 2) drugging the target/high
throughput screening; 3) target validation/proof of concept using relevant animal models of human disease;
4) introduction to medicinal chemistry – optimization of compounds/biologicals; 5) basic concepts of
intellectual property protection; 6) fundamentals of medical pharmacology; 6) basics in toxicology; 7)
principals of drug development from pre-clinical to IND filing; 8) fundamentals of clinical testing. A new
dimension to this highly successful program focuses on structure-based cardiovascular drug discovery.
Faculty mentors direct research training in four primary areas: 1) Structural Biology of CV Signaling
Molecules, including solving structures of ion channels and G-protein coupled receptors; 2) Biophysics of CV
Cell Signaling, including ion channels, cardiac and smooth muscle signaling; 3) Animal Models of CV
Diseases, including mice models of heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, atherosclerosis, and diabetes; and 4)
Clinical-Translational CV Sciences, including integrated use of human stem cells, genetics of cardiovascular
diseases, biomaterial scaffolds and bioreactors, clinical electrophysiology, and heart failure. Another
innovation provides clinical exposure/training for pre- and postdoctoral trainees who are introduced to clinical
activities in the hospital under the supervision of cardiology fellows in order to gain appreciation of the
relevance of their basic research to human CV disease. Trainees apply for independent funding to continue
their training after two years of grant support. Pre-doctoral candidates are selected from a large and diverse
pool of outstanding applicants to 7 graduate programs at Columbia University Medical Center─ Cellular
Physiology and Biophysics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Pathology and Cell Biology, the
Integrated Program, Nutritional and Metabolic Biology, Pharmacology and Molecular Signaling. Post-doctoral
candidates are selected from a large applicant pool of direct applicants to program faculty. Ongoing efforts
to recruit of woman and minorities continue to be successful. The training program provides cardiovascular
seminar series, journal clubs, joint laboratory meetings and retreats that foster collaborations and
interdisciplinary research. The program takes advantage of the many existing strengths of Columbia
University, including the Ir...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10120716
- **Project number:** 5T32HL120826-08
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** ANDREW Robert MARKS
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $605,154
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2014-01-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10120716

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10120716, Training in Cardiovascular Translational Research (5T32HL120826-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10120716. Licensed CC0.

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