# UAB Pre-Doctoral Training Program in Obesity-Related Research

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2024 · $277,375

## Abstract

Obesity is a major source of morbidity and mortality, and especially of heart, lung, and blood related morbidity
and mortality. This renewal application for a highly successful interdisciplinary pre-doctoral training program
offers coordinated mentorship, didactic training, career development activities, and supervised research
experiences to prepare PhD students for careers as independent investigators. The established pre-doctoral
program will build on two successful funding cycles and complements and interfaces with our existing NIH-
funded T32 program for post-doctoral training in obesity research. Students entering their 2nd year of PhD
training enroll in a formal integrated program tailored to individual interests. Trainees participate in the
investigative programs of UAB’s NIH-funded Nutrition Obesity Research Center, one of only 12 such centers
nation-wide. Each trainee has an individual mentoring team consisting of a primary mentor and two co-mentors
with one mentor from each of three major disciplinary domains (Biomedical; Behavioral/Social;
Quantitative/Physical). The faculty's disciplinary diversity (nutritionists, exercise scientists, physicians,
psychologists, statisticians, physiologists, geneticists, epidemiologists, etc.) and strong collaborative ties
facilitates multidisciplinary training. Students from any UAB department may apply to this program, but must
have a mentoring team from this T32 program’s approved faculty. All students, regardless of their departmental
affiliation, participate in all activities and coursework for this T32 program. Individuals are recruited from the large
pool of eligible 1st year PhD students on campus and selected via formal application and committee review,
based on graduate school performance, faculty recommendations, and consideration of the degree to which their
interests fit with those of the faculty and ongoing research programs. All trainees must have as a future plan an
investigative career in obesity-related research. The program promotes an approach to investigation that is
scientifically and ethically rigorous. Regular reviews of individual trainees with the program directors ensure that
adequate progress toward an independent research career is made. We have shown great success in attracting
talented trainees and guiding them toward careers as independent scientists. Our program is currently funded
for 12 trainee slots and we request continued support at this level.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10917263
- **Project number:** 5T32HL105349-15
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** BARBARA A GOWER
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $277,375
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2010-09-22 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10917263

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10917263, UAB Pre-Doctoral Training Program in Obesity-Related Research (5T32HL105349-15). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10917263. Licensed CC0.

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