# Signaling Pathways in Innate Immunity

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · 2024 · $525,332

## Abstract

An unprecedented expansion of knowledge has occurred in the relatively young field of “innate immunity,”
as exemplified by the mechanisms underlying the severe inflammatory manifestations revealed by the COVID-
19 pandemic. The “Signaling Pathways in Innate Immunity” (SPII) training program (TP) for pre- and postdoc-
toral trainees completed its 10th year in August 2022, and this revised application requests continued funding
for years 11-15. The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) has significant research and training
strengths in this area. The 33 Training Grant Faculty (TGF) for this uniquely focused TP are highly interactive
and primarily from the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, with affiliations in interdisciplinary centers
and institutes (e.g., Center for Vaccine Development, Institute for Genome Sciences, Center for Vascular and
Inflammatory Diseases, and the Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center). Our TGF are well-funded and
have a long history of collaboration on grants and publications. Predoctoral trainees are selected from a strong
applicant pool, including entrants from the UMSOM M.D./Ph.D. Program, within the Graduate Program in Life
Sciences Molecular Microbiology & Immunology (MMI) Program. Training includes a rigorous, multidisciplinary
core curriculum, program-specific courses, elective courses, journal clubs, seminars, annual symposia, and
graduate research forums. Additional academic work will be combined with intensive laboratory training
through dissertation research under the direction of the TGF whose expertise will provide inter- and multidisci-
plinary training opportunities. SPII TP-eligible postdoctoral fellows are increasingly gravitating to laboratories
with expertise in innate immune signaling where they receive dedicated mentoring using state-of-the art re-
sources and innovative opportunities to attain new skills in an academically challenging environment. Pre- and
postdoctoral trainees have additional mandatory didactic and non-didactic requirements, including training in
the responsible conduct of research, professional development, new “hands on” training modules in our Center
for Innovative Biomedical Research (CIBR) Core facility, and a highly structured mentoring program. Recruit-
ment of trainees from underrepresented minorities is a priority of the SPII TP and is reflected in the diversity of
our pre- and postdoctoral trainees: in Years 1-10, SPII TP trainees were 59.6% women and 22.9% un-
derrepresented minorities. SPII TP is guided by a highly qualified Advisory Board including the TP Director and
3 Co-Directors, 2 senior TGF, and 4 past or current TP Directors. Our TGF support trainee participation in in-
novative new training components in rigor and reproducibility, diversity, equity and inclusion, and outreach to
foster their professional development. Our current trainees are already building impressive records of publica-
tions and awards and SPII alumni are in academic, indus...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10867336
- **Project number:** 5T32AI095190-12
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE
- **Principal Investigator:** Stefanie N. Vogel
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $525,332
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2012-06-15 → 2028-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10867336

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10867336, Signaling Pathways in Innate Immunity (5T32AI095190-12). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10867336. Licensed CC0.

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