Translational exploration preparing program causes understudies to more readily comprehend patients’ issues

Overview

• Post By : Kumar Jeetendra


• Source: Medical University of South Carolina


• Date: 27 Sep,2020

Translational research aims to speed research breakthroughs into the practice. And yet, training for basic scientists and clinicians too often remains siloed, resulting in divergent cultures and a lack of chance for cross-disciplinary collaboration.

The South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research (SCTR) Institute’s TL1 application, a translational research training program for doctoral students in the MUSC Colleges of Graduate Studies, Medicine, Health Professions, Dental Medicine, and Pharmacy, is trying to change that by requiring TL1 trainees to complete a rotation where they shadow doctors who treat patients with the diseases at the middle of their research.

In the third year of their graduate studies, students spend a half day each week at the clinics of the choice. By that time, they are already well versed in teamwork and in the various stages of translational research through their involvement in the TL1 journal club, as was detailed in another recent JCTS article.

“The education provided by the Translational Sciences Clinic is a two-way street. It provides basic science trainees a better understanding of what the patients’ problems are and what they need to address in their research. But the students also educate the clinicians by bringing basic science questions and answers to the patients’ problems.”Perry Halushka, M.D, PhD, Study Lead Author and  TL1 Program Director, Medical University of South Carolina

In journal club, they read articles documenting the successful translation of a breakthrough into the practice and work in groups of three to present each step of that study. One member discusses the fundamental basic research; another, the clinical testing of this breakthrough; and the third, its dissemination.

“The TL1 journal club helps students determine how a simple discovery could be developed into a drug or a device,” said TL1 associate director and senior writer Carol Feghali-Bostwick, Ph.D.”It has the further advantage of having them function as groups.”

This background prepares them well to work on cross-disciplinary teams at the Translational Sciences Clinic. Subsequently, the rotation in the clinic often leads to ongoing cross-disciplinary collaborations.

The clinicians the trainees shadow often join their mentorship teams and provide clinical perspectives on their research. At times, they even serve on their dissertation committees. Such was the case with Daniel Lench, who has graduated from the program. He worked with Gonzalo J. Revuelta, D.O., a movement disorders specialist.

“Working with Dr. Revuelta at a translational research setting was a uniquely rewarding experience,” stated Lench. “I spent one semester in his movement disorder clinic celebrating and learning from particular cases. Overall, my time at the practice with him provided a solid framework on how best to carry out translational research in the long run.”

In some cases, the clinician mentor is a SCTR KL2 scholar, a junior-level physician-scientist who is guaranteed time to pursue a research project.

By way of instance, Xinh Xinh Nguyen, a TL1 trainee that studies scleroderma in Feghali-Bostwick’s research lab, managed to shadow Deanna Baker Frost, M.D., Ph.D., a KL2 scholar and rheumatologist with a clinical interest in autoimmune diseases and fibrosis, as she watched patients with scleroderma.

“It has improved my knowledge about clinically relevant aspects of my project.””

Feghali-Bostwick recognizes how greatly the turning in the Translational Sciences Clinic profited Nguyen.

“Xinh Xinh is performing research on scleroderma, but now she understands better what scleroderma is and knows what patients go through and what their complications are and what they come in for,” explained Feghali-Bostwick.

“That puts it all in perspective and helps her understand why she’s doing the research she is doing.”

Feghali-Bostwick believes that there is a natural mentoring relationship between the KL2 and TL1 scholars. “It’s a good fit; it is a natural fit.”

On program tests, many remark that their time spent in clinic seeing patients was one of their most meaningful and inspiring experiences in grad school.

“Through the time spent at the Translational Research Clinic, trainees suddenly get a greater appreciation for what they are doing at the seat and see how that may change people’s lives,” stated Halushka.

“They can see what happens when fundamental discoveries have been turned into new therapeutic approaches.”