K12 Scholars Program (Program page)

The mission of the Consortium for Translational and Precision Health (CTPH) K12 Scholars Program is to develop the next generation of independent clinical and translational scientists and leaders through mentored research, interdisciplinary collaboration and career development with an emphasis on precision health.

Established in 2024 through a partnership between Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and the University of Houston (UH), the CTPH K12 Scholars Program prepares early-career clinician and research scientists to advance discoveries that improve the health of individuals and communities.

Advancing the Science of Translation

Despite remarkable advances in biomedical research, many discoveries never reach the people who could benefit from them. Translational science seeks to understand and overcome the scientific and operational barriers that slow the translation of discoveries into practice. By generating innovative solutions that improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of translational research, translational science accelerates the delivery of better health outcomes.

The CTPH K12 Scholars Program prepares early stage investigators to conduct translational research and to advance the science of translation through collaboration, innovation, rigor, and problem-solving across disciplines.

The program is informed by the NCATS Translational Science Principles, which characterize effective approaches to translational science.

Our Goals

The CTPH K12 Scholars Program goals are to:

  •   Recruit, train, and retain a multidisciplinary cohort of Scholars committed to careers in clinical and translational science.

  •   Provide a robust career development experience through protected research time, individualized mentoring, didactic training, experiential learning and networking.

  •   Support innovative, high-quality research addressing challenges in translation and improving health outcomes.

  •   Foster collaborative, team-based approaches to problem-solving across disciplines and among institutions.

  •   Develop scholars into future leaders, independent investigators, and mentors who are equipped to advance translational science and precision health.       

  •   Integrate scholars into the broader CTPH community and its translational science resources and programs.

Program Leadership

  • Multiple Principal Investigator (Contact)
    Dr. Rumbaut is Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Founding Director of the Center for Translational Research on Inflammatory Diseases (CTRID), and a practicing Internal Medicine/Critical Care physician at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC).

    Dr. Rumbaut earned his medical degree from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Mexico, and a PhD in physiology from the University of Missouri-Columbia.  His research explores the links between inflammation and thrombosis, particularly in microcirculation.

  • Multiple Principal Investigator
    Dr. Bruce is Clinical Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Associate Dean for Research at the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine at the University of Houston (UH). He is also founding director of The Collaboratories at UH Population Health. 

    Dr. Bruce earned a doctorate in sociology from North Carolina State University and completed postdoctoral training in family medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and in biobehavioral health at Duke University. His research explores factors affecting cognitive and physical functioning among populations at elevated risk for chronic disease across the life course and generations.

  • Multiple Principal Investigator

    Dr. Grigorenko is the Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Director of the GENE:IS (Genetic and Neurobehavioral Systems: Interdisciplinary Studies) Lab at the University of Houston (UH). She is a licensed clinical psychologist with specialization in forensic psychology.

    Dr. Grigorenko completed her doctoral and habilitation qualifications in general and educational psychology at Moscow State University, Russia, and her PhD in developmental psychology and genetics at Yale University. Her work focuses on child and adolescent learning and developmental disorders and bridges cognitive science, genetics, and education policy into practical tools that improve diagnosis, intervention, and outcomes for children worldwide.

  • Multiple Principal Investigator

    Dr. Pereira is Associate Professor and Director for Mentoring and Professional Development at the BCM Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, where he leads mentoring and professional development for faculty and trainees.

    Dr. Pereira earned a doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Manitoba, Canada. His research focuses on education and mentoring, and on the molecular mechanisms underlying hearing and balance disorders, with an emphasis on auditory development, aging, regeneration, and cancer-related hearing loss.

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