Enrichment Program

The mission of the Enrichment Program is to support and develop activities that encourage and foster research training, dissemination of information and collaborative research investigations. A well-known feature of the environment of the Einstein-Mount Sinai Diabetes Research Center (ES-DRC) is the cooperative and collegial atmosphere in which research is conducted; the Center facilitates these collaborations by hosting high-caliber educational events for its faculty and trainees at both Einstein and Mount Sinai. The Enrichment Program is an important component of the ES-DRC through which invited scientists and ES-DRC investigators present their research accomplishments. The program enhances the quantity and quality of interactions among ES-DRC members and with diabetes investigators from other affiliated institutions. The Program also increases the visibility of the ES-DRC to faculty at large and at other institutions, via invited lectures and through our leadership in regional diabetes research symposia. The program includes the annual Rifkin Visiting Professor Lectureship, weekly ES-DRC Enrichment Lectures, Student Workshops and a Junior Faculty Seminar Program. Research and clinical faculty, trainees from various programs, and students are encouraged to attend. Programs are interdisciplinary and range from behavioral to basic to clinical science. In addition, there are a variety of training venues to enhance clinical translational research both from bench to bedside as well as from bedside to bench. These efforts are undergoing continuing increased coordination between Einstein and Mount Sinai. This includes the broadening of these activities to other Institutions by joint participation and videoconferencing of important lectures as well as joint participation of trainees in symposia and other venues. The ES-DRC makes a major contribution to diabetes and metabolism research training in the New York area and provides integration between basic, clinical and translational research through numerous venues. The large number of faculty engaged in diabetes-related research increases the visibility of diabetes as an important research target within New York area research institutions and for the lay public. The Cores and Pilot & Feasibility Award Programs further enhance the visibility of diabetes research. The Translational Research Core and our partnerships with Einstein's and Mount Sinai's Clinical and Translational Science Award programs and their involvement in the community and with other regional Institutions also fosters interest in behavioral and translational research by students, trainees and clinical faculty.