The UW Medicine Institute for Translational Immunology has revamped its training for biomedical researchers focused on understanding the body’s defense mechanisms against infection, cancer and autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis and lupus.
As scientists continue to learn more about how the immune system functions, there’s hope of developing these findings into practical therapies to prevent, detect or treat an array of diseases. Advancing scientific discoveries from the laboratory into the clinic is known as translational medicine and is a major goal of immunology research.
At the forefront of translational medicine are postdoctoral fellows, Ph.D.-level scientists preparing to launch independent careers. The Institute’s leaders suggest that traditional biomedical postdoc fellowships do not provide adequate training to advance translational medicine.
They add that traditional postdoc fellowship programs were designed to mentor fellows on academic career paths — but that training needs have changed as many fellows are choosing nonacademic careers in commercial biotech, science writing and project management.
To support postdocs in becoming successful scientists regardless of career path, the Institute for Translational Medicine is modernizing fellowships to include training in communication and leadership skills, mentorship, career-specific education and networking opportunities.
