# Omics and Symptom Science Training Program

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2021 · $288,077

## Abstract

In 2011, the Genomic Nursing State of the Science Advisory Panel developed a Blueprint for Nursing Science
which included the need to develop the next generation of nursing scientists poised to lead interdisciplinary
teams that integrate omics-based measures with clinical outcomes research. To accomplish this, a concerted
effort needs to be made in the training of nursing science doctoral students and postdoctoral trainees with skills
necessary to incorporate and evaluate omics in health and disease. More recently a focus on precision health
has been advocated by NIH and NINR. This new emphasis brings with it the need for a larger cadre of nurse
scientists who understand, appreciate, and utilize scientific advances in the fields of genetics, transcriptomics,
metabolomics and the microbiome. The integration of omics in nursing science programs is needed to fully
understand biologic mechanisms underlying symptoms and function in order to advance individualized
healthcare and to optimize treatment and outcomes. Given nursing’s tradition of utilizing biobehavioral
information in concert with patient and family assessments, the development of nurse scientists with
complementary skills in the interpretation and clinical integration (i.e., translation) of data derived from new
technologies is imperative. With the development of new technologies that can capture molecular
characteristics, new innovative approaches to enhance health and reduce symptom burden can be developed
and tested. The University of Washington School of Nursing (UW SoN) has a long history in building
biobehavioral nursing science capacity. Prior and on-going work by nurse scientists at UW SoN incorporates
basic bench science in concert with clinical and laboratory studies of diverse patient groups, and translated
their findings to clinical practice. Our goal now is to expand this capacity by integrating omics tools and
interdisciplinary educational approaches into our doctoral and postdoctoral training. The specific aims for the
proposed Omics and Symptom Science Training Program (OSSTP) are 1) to recruit and retain a qualified
diverse cadre of pre-doctoral and post-doctoral trainees, 2) to provide interdisciplinary didactic research
training in the fundamental theories, methods, and skills necessary to conduct research that includes omics
measures in concert with symptoms, 3) to facilitate the ability of trainees to develop research expertise through
ongoing research experience in omics and symptom science, 4) to mentor all trainees in the ethical conduct of
research, especially in diverse vulnerable populations, and 5) to recognize the ethical implications of omics
measures in nursing research. Our goal is to train 3 predoctoral trainees and 2 postdoctoral trainees annually
for 5 years. Training program structures, processes, and outcomes will be evaluated on an ongoing basis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10205176
- **Project number:** 5T32NR016913-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Margaret McLean Heitkemper
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $288,077
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-07-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10205176

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10205176, Omics and Symptom Science Training Program (5T32NR016913-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10205176. Licensed CC0.

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