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Principal Investigator: WILLIAM M GEISLER
Organization: UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $323,100
Funding agency: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
PROJECT SUMMARY and ABSTRACT
Infectious diseases continue to have a major impact on global health. Clinician-investigators have an important
role in addressing infectious diseases through research whose findings can advance the development of new
diagnostic, treatment, and prevention strategies. However, there is a decreasing number of clinician-
investigators in infectious diseases to meet this need. Innovative training schemes to reinvigorate the next
generation of clinician-investigators to address infectious diseases concerns are needed. The University of
Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is committed to training and retaining a pipeline of clinician-investigators and has
established a physician scientist development office (PSDO) that provides support and resources for this
pipeline. Residency is a pipeline stage with heavy clinical burden and there is a need for mentored research and
training opportunities during residency to help retain those with an interest in a clinician-investigator career. The
goal of the UAB StARR Program is to recruit, train, and accelerate the research independence of UAB resident-
investigators to help build the next generation of clinician-investigators addressing infectious diseases. The
program will achieve its goal through three specific aims: Aim 1 (Pre-StARR Phase): Identify, recruit, and
cultivate resident-investigators interested in infectious diseases who are diverse by gender, race, ethnicity, and
residency specialties – starting in post-graduate year 1, multiple strategies will be used to identify and recruit
resident-investigators for the UAB StARR program from a diverse resident pool within the UAB Internal Medicine,
Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Pathology, and General Surgery residency programs who have interest in infectious
diseases. Aim 2 (StARR Research Phase): Provide mentored research and career development activities for
resident-investigators to promote curiosity in and preparedness for a career involving infectious diseases
investigation - up to 4 residents who apply and are selected for UAB StARR each year will complete a 12-month
program that includes: 1) research mentored by one of 34 preceptors with an excellent mentoring track record
and funding in research on infectious diseases and/or immune mechanisms impacting them, and 2) career
development activities leading to core competencies in research methodology, responsible conduct of research,
communication of findings, scientific writing, and team science. Aim 3 (Post-StARR Phase): Maintain continued
mentorship and career development engagement to retain resident-investigators’ interest and preparedness for
a clinician-investigator pathway - after completing the 12-month StARR program, participants will have continued
mentored research opportunities (up to 12 months), career advising through regular meetings with StARR
leadership and preceptors, and participation in career development activities, research conferences, and a
monthly interactive StARR Cohort “Next Steps” series. The impact of UAB StARR will be the development of a
diverse group of highly motivated, well-trained, early clinician-investigators who are prepared for a successful
transition towards a career as an independent clinician-investigator with a research focus on infectious diseases.
Terms: <AIDS Virus><Acceleration><Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Virus><Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus><Address><Advanced Development><Advisory Committees><Alabama><Biological Terrorism><Bioterror><Bioterrorism><Board Certification><COVID-19><CV-19><Clinical><Communicable Diseases><Communication><Competence><Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019><Curiosities><Dedications><Development><Development Plans><Development and Research><Diarrhea><Disease Outbreaks><Ensure><Ethnic Origin><Ethnicity><Feedback><Funding><Future><Generations><Goals><Grant><HIV><Human Immunodeficiency Viruses><Immune><Immunes><Immunocompromised><Immunocompromised Host><Immunocompromised Patient><Immunosuppressed Host><Individual><Infection><Infectious Disease Pathway><Infectious Diseases><Infectious Diseases / Laboratory><Infectious Diseases Research><Infectious Disorder><Institution><Internal Medicine><Investigation><Investigators><Knowledge><LAV-HTLV-III><Leadership><Lymphadenopathy-Associated Virus><M tuberculosis infection><M. tb infection><M. tuberculosis infection><M.tb infection><M.tuberculosis infection><MTB infection><Malaria><Manuscripts><Mentors><Mentorship><Motivation><Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection><Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection><Operative Procedures><Operative Surgical Procedures><Outbreaks><Paludism><Participant><Pathology><Pathway interactions><Pediatrics><Phase><Physicians><Plasmodium Infections><Play><Position><Positioning Attribute><Post Graduate Year><Postdoc><Postdoctoral Fellow><Preparedness><Preventative strategy><Prevention strategy><Preventive strategy><Program Evaluation><Publications><Publishing><R & D><R&D><Race><Races><Readiness><Research><Research Associate><Research Methodology><Research Methods><Research Personnel><Research Resources><Research Training><Researchers><Residencies><Resources><Role><Scheme><Science><Scientific Publication><Scientist><Series><Sexually Transmitted Diseases><Sexually Transmitted Disorder><Sexually Transmitted Infection><Specialty><Surgical><Surgical Interventions><Surgical Procedure><TB infection><Talents><Task Forces><Testing><Time><Training><Tuberculosis><Universities><Venereal Diseases><Venereal Disorders><Venereal Infections><Virus-HIV><Writing><advisory team><career><career development><cohort><combat><conference><convention><coronavirus disease 2019><coronavirus disease-19><coronavirus infectious disease-19><developmental><diagnostic approach><diagnostic strategy><disseminated TB><disseminated tuberculosis><diversity and inclusion><diversity and inclusivity><experience><gender diverse><global health><immunosuppressed patient><infection due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis><innovate><innovation><innovative><interest><medical specialties><meeting><meetings><new diagnostics><next generation><next generation diagnostics><novel diagnostics><pathogen><pathway><post-doc><post-doctoral><post-doctoral trainee><programs><racial><racial background><racial origin><recruit><research and development><research and methods><research associates><responsible research conduct><sexually acquired infection><skills><social role><success><summit><surgery><symposia><symposium><training opportunity><treatment strategy><tuberculosis infection><tuberculous spondyloarthropathy>