# Neonatal Research Training Program

> **NIH NIH T32** · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · 2020 · $485,866

## Abstract

Project Summary
With the recognition of developmental origins of adult disease, there is a strong need to train physician
scientists who will address such fundamental mechanisms of disease and translate these findings to the care
of critically ill newborns aiming to have a sustained, life-long impact on human health. The Harvard Neonatal-
Perinatal Medicine Program has a >40 year history of training physician scientists who now lead national and
international programs in academic neonatology. We are proud of our training history in that >70% of our
graduates (>2.5x the national average) become academic neonatologists. Our large pool of eligible applicants
combined with highly accomplished mentoring faculty in the scientific community of Harvard Medical School
(HMS) and its four training hospitals allows us to train top candidates in cutting edge basic, translational,
clinical, and health outcomes research. Since neonatology is not an organ-specific training discipline but
encompasses the study of mechanisms and processes of organ development, perinatal injury, growth and
repair, our research and career training is broadly focused in three core disciplines that represent strengths of
the Harvard Program and define critical areas in need of new knowledge for this particularly vulnerable
population: 1) The study of molecular, cellular, and epigenetic mechanisms of normal development and
perinatal injury; 2) Investigation in neonatal genomics to uncover the genetic basis of complex disorders by
combining gene sequencing with model systems to reveal genotype-phenotype correlations and develop
precision medicine-based therapeutic strategies; 3) Training in regenerative medicine with stem cell and gene
therapy-based studies to treat neonatal diseases at a critical time of development, aiming to achieve a
sustained, life-long impact. The Program's structured research training will instill the skills and knowledge base
to address these critical areas in newborn biology and perinatal health outcomes. We incorporate highly
accomplished senior faculty at the fore front of science along with junior faculty as `mentors in training', thus
providing abundant opportunities for cross fertilization. A mentoring program and scholarship oversight
committee is assembled for each trainee to provide mentoring in scientific and career development. Didactic
course is required for both basic and clinical research training and supplemented with relevant seminars, a
course in the responsible conduct of research as well as an annual research symposium. Trainees in clinical
or health outcomes research enroll in the HMS Clinical Effectiveness program and most obtain a Master's
Degree in Medical Science or Public Health. Advisory committees of national experts provide on-going advice
on candidate and mentor selection, scholarly progress, and overall success. Strategies are in place for the
recruitment of minority candidates to ensure a diversity of trainees [5/20 (25%) current f...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9920176
- **Project number:** 5T32HD098061-02
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Stella Kourembanas
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $485,866
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-05-01 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9920176

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9920176, Neonatal Research Training Program (5T32HD098061-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9920176. Licensed CC0.

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