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The Institutional Challenge To Train And Maintain Biomedical Scientists

Leaders in universities, scientific institutions, and industry need to be well trained in leadership to create high quality environments to support research and learning. It is at the academic institutions that the scientists in training require high quality programs that equip them to face their own future in both academic and non-academic life sciences.

To achieve this, academic leaders must be able to secure resources to create stable environments for trainees and faculty. The very best biomedical scientists are required to generate and transmit new knowledge to fellow scientists, trainees and clinicians. Biomedical scientists need to have an environment that rewards their motivation, their ability to unravel the mysteries of pathobiology, and that fosters innovative and transformative research. High quality programs are required to provide the unique training that Pathology and Laboratory Medicine offers to study, understand, diagnose, treat and prevent human disease. A stimulating intellectual environment with state-of-the-art resources and time dedicated to research are needed to launch biomedical scientist careers and support their productive growth, especially in the early stages of their careers.

Universities, teaching hospitals, affiliated research institutes, granting agencies, (both private and government) and industrial partners need to actively support these academic initiatives and create capacity to train biomedical scientists and to support their mentors. All will benefit from having a strong core of biomedical scientists in the biomedical research and clinical community.

Research - Excellent productive investigators need to be trained to acquire a knowledge base and the technical expertise to explore mechanisms of disease and translate basic knowledge to clinically useful information to diagnose, treat, predict prognosis, and prevent disease.

Teaching - Innovative teachers require the training to be able to link teaching to research and to state-of-the-art knowledge and technology, and to be able to carry out research in education. Faculty development opportunities in teaching are very important. High quality information technology (IT) is essential to carry out first class teaching to undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate trainees.

Academic leaders must have the vision to initiate training programs that promote innovation and encourage transformative research. Thus training programs need to be adjusted to provide the very best opportunities to train future faculty. Departments would do well to adjust their academic resources to provide their academic faculty with career development and advancement, which demands that innovation, new knowledge, and international recognition be the hallmark