CCTS Workforce Development Foundation for Discovery Announces New Co-Directors Anthea Letsou, Julie Shakib

CCTS Workforce Development Foundation for Discovery announces two new co-directors: Anthea Letsou, Ph.D., and Julie Shakib, D.O., M.P.H. Workforce development is designed to enhance the development of future faculty members and to reengineer the training of future investigators in each step of clinical research, from the laboratory bench or basic population science research to the bedside and finally to practice in the community.

“These leaders were chosen because of their experience with the CCTS programs and their commitment to mentoring the next generation of M.D. and Ph.D. translational scholars,” says CCTS co-director Carrie Byington, M.D.

Letsou carries out research in Drosophila as a model to investigate developmental defects such as spina bifida and neurodegenerative disorders. She served as a Developmental Systems Program Director and more recently as the Science Advisor in the Division of Organismal Systems at the National Science Foundation. For the past five years, she has participated in the CCTS Workforce Development Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) as a curriculum leader.

“I look forward to continuing to enhance career development opportunities for many clinical and translational scientists,” says Letsou.

Shakib is a graduate of the CCTS Master of Science in Clinical Investigation program, Pediatric Clinical and Translational (PCAT) Research Scholars Program, received a CCTS K12 scholar award, and is a mentor for Native American Research Internship program and Department of Pediatrics. “The exceptional mentorship I received over the last decade has inspired my commitment to mentoring trainees at every stage in their careers,” she says.

Shakib also has a special research interest in improving immunization strategies to better protect young infants from vaccine-preventable diseases.

As leaders in workforce development, Letsou and Shakib will oversee the CCTS KL2 Mentored Career Development Scholar Program, the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation Program and TL1 Genomic Science Scholars Program.