Camille A. Martina

Clinical and Translational Scientist Career Success: Metrics for Evaluation

Despite the increased emphasis on formal training in clinical and translational research and the growth in the number and scope of training programs over the past decade, the impact of training on research productivity and career success has yet to be fully evaluated at the institutional level. In this article, the Education Evaluation Working Group of the Clinical and Translational Science Award Consortium introduces selected metrics and methods associated with the assessment of key factors that affect research career success. The goals in providing this information are to encourage more consistent data collection across training sites, to foster more rigorous and systematic exploration of factors associated with career success, and to help address previously identified difficulties in program evaluation. Clin Trans Sci 2012; Volume 5: 400–407

Approaches to preparing young scholars for careers in interdisciplinary team science.

To succeed as a biomedical researcher, the ability to flourish in interdisciplinary teams of scientists is becoming ever more important. Institutions supported by the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) from the National Institutes of Health have a specific mandate to educate the next generation of clinical and translational researchers. While they strive to advance integrated and interdisciplinary approaches to education and career development in clinical and translational science, general approaches and evaluation strategies may differ, as there is no single, universally accepted or standardized approach. It is important, therefore, to learn about the different approaches used to determine what is effective. We implemented a Web-based survey distributed to education leaders at the 60 funded CTSA institutions; 95% responded to the survey, which included questions on the importance of preparation for interdisciplinary team science careers, methods used to provide such training, and perceived effectiveness of these training programs. The vast majority (86%) of education leaders reported that such training is important, and about half (52%) of the institutions offer such training. Methods of training most often take the form of courses and seminars, both credit bearing and noncredit. These efforts are, by and large, perceived as effective by the training program leaders, although long-term follow-up of trainees would be required to fully evaluate ultimate effectiveness. Results from the survey suggest that CTSA education directors believe that specific training in interdisciplinary team science for young investigators is very important, but few methodologies are universally practiced in CTSA institutions to provide training or to assess performance. Four specific recommendations are suggested to provide measurable strategic goals for education in team science in the context of clinical and translational research.

Contradictions in Educational Policy: Implementing Integrated Problem-Based Environmental Health Curriculum in a High Stakes Environment.

In this paper, we focus on the efforts of educators at nine different research sites within the United States, funded by a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), to develop and implement innovative, interdisciplinary curriculum on the relationship of the environment and human health. The NIEHS correctly maintained that the interdisciplinary nature of learning about environmental health would improve students’ learning across several subject areas and should, therefore, contribute to students scoring higher on state’s subject area based standardized tests. However, these goals were undermined by state polices linking standardized tests with student promotion and graduation, and the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) that required public schools and districts to aggregate test scores which might have negative consequences, such as reducing school funding or privatizing school administration and state policies. These policies resulted in deleterious effects that undermined implementing environmental health curricula.

Identifying Emerging Research Collaborations and Networks Method Development

Clinical and translational research is a multidisciplinary, collaborative team process. To evaluate this process, we developed a method to document emerging research networks and collaborations in our medical center to describe their productivity and viability over time. Using an e-mail survey, sent to 1,620 clinical and basic science full- and part-time faculty members, respondents identified their research collaborators. Initial analyses, using Pajek software, assessed the feasibility of using social network analysis (SNA) methods with these data. Nearly 400 respondents identified 1,594 collaborators across 28 medical center departments resulting in 309 networks with 5 or more collaborators. This low-burden approach yielded a rich data set useful for evaluation using SNA to: (a) assess networks at several levels of the organization, including intrapersonal (individuals), interpersonal (social), organizational/institutional leadership (tenure and promotion), and physical/environmental (spatial proximity) and (b) link with other data to assess the evolution of these networks.

A Sustainable Course in Research Mentoring

In this report, we describe a six‐year experience (2007‐2012) in a single CTSA awardee institution on the development, implementation and evaluation of a hybrid online mentoring curriculum that is applicable to CTSA trainees at various levels (graduate, medical students, and junior faculty) of career training. The curriculum offers convenience, engagement, and financial sustainability. Overall, we found high levels of satisfaction with the curriculum and mentoring experience among both protégés and mentors. Qualitative data showed remarkable consensus of 14 of the 15 domains of mentoring that form the framework of the mentoring curriculum: (1) accessibility, (2) selectivity, (3) engagement/support, (4) teaching/training, (5) clarity of performance/expectations, (6) sponsorship/sharing power judiciously, (7) demystifying the system (academia), (8) challenging/encouraging risk taking, (9) affirming, (10) providing exposure/visibility, (11) being an intentional role model, (12) protecting, (13) providing feedback, (14) self‐disclosure, and lastly (15) counseling, with the fifteenth domain “counseling” being the most controversial. Quantitative survey data of both mentors and protégés indicated a high degree of overall satisfaction in their mentor‐protégé dyad with 86% (59) of protégés and 86% (55) of mentors responding good or excellent to the “quality of time spent.” Mentors and protégés were most satisfied in the area of research, with 93% (62) of protégés and 96% (57) of mentors finding discussions in research very to somewhat useful for their own career advancement. Along with wide acceptability, this format is a useful option for institutions where face‐to‐face time is limited and education budgets are lean.

A randomized controlled trial of mentoring interventions for underrepresented minorities

Purpose To conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of different mentoring interventions on the basic psychological need satisfaction of underrepresented minorities and women in academia. Method Participants were 150 mentor/protégé dyads from three academic medical centers and eight other colleges and universities in western and central New York, randomized from 2010 to 2013 into mentor training (using principles of self-determination theory); peer mentoring for protégés; mentor training and peer mentoring for protégés combined; or control/usual practice. Protégé participants were graduate students, fellows, and junior faculty who were from underrepresented groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, or disability. The primary analysis was a comparison of intervention effects on changes in protégés’ satisfaction of their basic psychological needs (competence, autonomy, and relatedness) with their mentor. They completed a well-validated, online questionnaire every two months for one year. Results There was no significant effect at the end of one year of either mentor training or peer mentoring on protégés’ psychological basic need satisfaction with mentor specifically or at work in general. Exploratory analyses showed a significant effect of the mentor-based intervention on the protégés’ overall psychological need satisfaction with their mentor at two months, the time point closest to completing mentor training. Conclusions This randomized controlled trial showed a potential short-term effect of mentor training on changing basic psychological need satisfaction of underrepresented scholars with their mentors. Despite the lack of sustained effect of either mentor training or peer mentoring, these short-term changes suggest feasibility and potential for future study.

Teaching Environmental Health to Children

Teaching environmental health to children , Teaching environmental health to children , کتابخانه مرکزی دانشگاه علوم پزشکی تهران

Prevalence of allergic disease in Old Order Mennonites in New York.

Allergic and autoimmune diseases are far less frequent in developing countries compared with economically developed countries, where prevalence has increased significantly during the past 50 years.1 The rapidity of change strongly argues against a genetic explanation and suggests environmental and lifestyle behaviors as the more likely origin. In 1989, Strachan2 observed that having more siblings was associated with a decrease in the prevalence of hay fever, speculating that this difference may be related to hygiene. Further studies found that growing up on farms and consuming unpasteurized milk protected children from asthma, hay fever, and allergies.3 In addition, greater microbial diversity in house dust was positively associated with living on farms and negatively associated with asthma.4 Furthermore, the mode and site of birth were associated with atopic disease, with vaginal delivery at home having the greatest protection.5 Within the past decade, a large number of epidemiologic studies have linked farm living to a lower prevalence of allergic and autoimmune disease.6 On the basis of these studies, we recruited a community of what should be a low-risk population: the Old OrderMennonites (OOMs) living in Upstate New York. The OOMs (1) predominantly live on farms, (2) have large families, (3) give birth mainly at home, and (4) avoid the use of antibiotics. Our OOM study participants are Swiss German descendants of Mennonites who arrived in America in 1683 to escape religious persecution in Europe. Unlike the Amish, OOM lifestyle behaviors are more varied and generalizable; for example, some OOMs use motorized farm and shop equipment and have electricity, central heating, telephones, and kitchen and household appliances. However, the OOMs use fewer commercial products and processed foods than typical Americans, thus reducing exposures to chemical contaminants. For example, a pilot study in 2009 found that, compared with the US population, the OOMs had significantly lower exposures to bisphenol A and phthalates,7 which are common household chemicals found in plastics and other products. Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, which is commonly used in soft plastics, has been implicated in asthma and allergy in both experimental and population studies.8 Therefore, our goal in this preliminary study was to confirm a low prevalence of allergic diseases in OOMs compared with those of the US population of the same age range and race (white) by using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. If low prevalence in OOMs is confirmed, our future studies will look for contributing behaviors and chemical exposures.

Mentoring Interventions for Underrepresented Scholars in Biomedical and Behavioral Sciences: Effects on Quality of Mentoring Interactions and Discussions

Mentor education and peer mentoring can enhance the breadth of mentor–protégé discussions and quality of dyad time for underrepresented minority scholars.

The End of Public Schools? Or a New Beginning?

Abstract Public education is becoming increasingly privatized as private philanthropic organizations, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and corporations, such as Pearson, dominate the policy-making process, and more students enroll in publicly funded but privately administered charter schools. The privatization of education results from the dominance of neoliberal ideals promoting market competition, individualism, and standardized testing. In response, we call for replacing neoliberalism with social democratic policies emphasizing community, trust, and democratic deliberation.