# Training Program in Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2024 · $587,441

## Abstract

Project Summary
The purpose of this program is to provide rigorous multidisciplinary research training for physician-scientists
and PhD postdoctoral fellows in cardiovascular research. Our training program incorporates two guiding
principles: 1) biomedical research requires teams of investigators with diverse scientific backgrounds and
complementary expertise, and 2) there are no shortcuts to a career in cardiovascular research; rigorous
didactic training, structured mentorship, a focused research project, and constructive feedback are required.
The program is centered in the University of Pennsylvania Cardiovascular Institute (CVI), which includes 115
members across multiple university departments performing a broad spectrum of cardiovascular science.
Considerable support from the School of Medicine is committed to the program, including integrated basic and
translational research space and core laboratories in the Smilow Center for Translational Research. This
renewal application will support 7 MD, MD/PhD, and PhD postdoctoral fellows per year performing 2-3 years of
dedicated research training. Thirty-eight NIH-funded Penn CVI faculty in the Departments of Medicine,
Surgery, Cell and Developmental Biology, Genetics, Physiology, Systems Pharmacology and Therapeutics,
and Bioengineering serve as trainers and mentors. Three tracks have been created. The Basic Track prepares
trainees for careers in cardiovascular science using laboratory approaches. The Clinical/Translational Track
prepares trainees for research careers at the interface of laboratory science and clinical investigation, including
deep-phenotyping in human subjects, applied genomics, novel devices, and therapeutics. The
Outcomes/Health Services Research Track prepares trainees for careers that leverage big data to improve
health care delivery. The core of our curriculum is a supervised research preceptorship. Training is
supplemented with didactic classwork, lectures, seminars, skills classes, and Master’s level research training.
Over the past 15 years metrics of the program’s success include: 1) recruitment of outstanding MD, MD/PhD
and PhD trainees, 2) > 95% of trainees completing the program (several having obtained advanced degrees),
3) an average of 4.3 manuscripts published per trainee (many in high-impact journals), 4) a vast majority of
trainees moving on to research careers or additional postdoctoral studies. Programmatic enhancements
include new leadership and discovery units in the Penn CVI; new translational programs in the Cardiovascular
Division; an expanded roster of Program Directors, Co-Directors, and Faculty Trainers, including women, URM
and early career trainers; a renewed external advisory committee; new themes, including bioinformatics, data
science, social determinants of disease, and the impact of COVID-19; and new structures to promote cross-
disciplinary interaction, team science, and peer mentoring. Finally, we have substantially updated our plans to
recr...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10904640
- **Project number:** 5T32HL007843-28
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** THOMAS P. CAPPOLA
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $587,441
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1996-09-15 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10904640

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10904640, Training Program in Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine (5T32HL007843-28). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10904640. Licensed CC0.

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