Training Basic, Clinical and Translational Investigators

This chapter focuses on advanced training for clinical and translational investigators, including physician-scientists and other doctorally trained clinical and translational researchers. Translating recent advances into better health requires the training of scientists equipped to make discoveries in humans, to develop and test new diagnostic tools and treatments safely in people, to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical interventions, and to implement the most effective approaches to improve health. The optimal training of clinical and translational scientists shares many characteristics with the training of other biomedical scientists. Clinical and translational researchers, however, also require a unique knowledge base and skill set. Whether dealing with individual human subjects or populations, clinical and translational investigators must understand how to study complex and integrated systems, in which there is considerable variability. Clinical and translational research spans a wide spectrum from first-in-human studies conducted in a small number of subjects to health outcomes research conducted in large populations. The skills required to conduct these types of research differ, as does the infrastructural support. The study also discusses the training of successful clinical and translational investigators, including participation in a core didactic curriculum, immersion in a scientific field through a mentored research apprenticeship, participation in formal career development, and leadership development activities.