Pathogenesis, Targeted Therapeutics, and New Vaccines for Childhood Disease

This supplement to our renewal application seeks continued support for the Vanderbilt Child Health Research Career Development Award (K12) – a program designed to prepare early-career pediatric physician-scientists to become future leaders in basic and translational research. The K12 program provides 80% protected time for mentored research, structured oversight, and individualized career development for up to three years. The Vanderbilt K12 pathway has produced a strong pipeline of pediatric physician-scientists, with substantial return on investment. Among the 11 scholars in the first funding cycle, 73% (8/11) secured individual NIH K awards, and 63% (5/8) of those K-award recipients transitioned to R01-level funding. Program alumni have secured independent research grants and assumed leadership roles in academia, underscoring the program’s impact. Both current K12 Training Directors are products of a Department of Pediatric physician-scientist training pathway (one a former K12 scholar and one a former pediatrics T32 fellow), underscoring our commitment to developing outstanding Vanderbilt Pediatric physician-scientists from fellows through late careers. A central feature of our program for the last 10 years has been the Vanderbilt K12 Club. This monthly forum brings together current scholars, alums, training directors, and multiple PIs to foster peer mentoring, professional development, and knowledge sharing. The program’s mentorship model is tiered and multidisciplinary. Each scholar is guided by a team of senior investigators and “Next Generation” near-peers, including former K12 recipients and mentors, ensuring both expert guidance and relatable peer support. We intentionally align our approach with Social Cognitive Career Theory, which emphasizes how self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and environment influence career development. This theoretical framework underpins our Individual Development Plan process and mentoring strategies, reinforcing scholars’ confidence and persistence. We also added a new mandatory Precision Medicine Research Rotation (1 day/week for 6 months). VUMC’s BioVU links DNA to de-identified electronic health records datasets (Synthetic Derivative, Research Derivative) for genotype–phenotype discovery and validation. Led by Dr. Jennifer Sucre (former K12 scholar and current K12 training director), scholars will build phenotypes, merge genomic and clinical data, and conduct phenotypic and genotypic analyses with bench validation. Additionally, Vanderbilt’s CTSA (Clinical and Translational Science Award) program has supported our scholars by providing infrastructure for clinical research translation, including a biorepository. Collectively, these resources, mentors, and our track record of success provide evidence that the K12 supplement will continue to support the pathway for physician-scientists committed to improving child health. Project Number: 3K12HD087023-11S1 | Fiscal Year: 2026 | NIH Institute/Center: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) | Principal Investigator: Juan Salazar (+1 co-PI) | Institution: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, NASHVILLE, TN | Award Amount: $171,988 | Activity Code: K12 View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11513711