An Adaptable Pediatrics Faculty Mentoring Model.

An effective faculty mentoring program (FMP) is 1 approach that academic departments can use to promote professional fulfillment, faculty retention, and mitigate the risks of faculty burnout. Mentoring has both direct benefits for junior faculty mentees as they navigate the academic promotion process with their mentors, in addition to broader departmental and institutional benefits, with regard to recruitment, retention, and academic productivity. We describe a successful FMP model that has been adapted for use in 6 other pediatrics departments, summarizing the key personnel, mentoring process, and program evaluation methods. Important lessons learned and a generalizable mentoring "model" are provided. Program evaluation indicates a positive effect for the FMP on enhanced faculty self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and career development. The importance of communication, oversight, feedback, accountability, and valuing all faculty members is emphasized. Strategies to promote faculty engagement and the critical role of departmental leadership in prioritizing mentorship are discussed. The success of academic medical departments is inextricably linked to its commitment to the career development of individual faculty members at all levels and in all academic pathways. With our findings, we support the positive impact of a formal FMP in promoting enhanced self-efficacy and career satisfaction, which directly benefits the department and institution through enhanced productivity, retention, successful promotion, and overall professional fulfillment.

Neurotoxicity of manganese: Indications for future research and public health intervention from the Manganese 2016 conference.

Manganese is an essential trace element, but also at high levels a neurotoxicant. Manganese neurotoxicity has been extensively studied since its discovery in highly exposed workers. The International conference MANGANESE2016 held at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York provided relevant updates on manganese research in relation to both occupational and environmental exposures. Epidemiological, toxicological and cellular studies reported at the conference have yielded new insights on mechanisms of manganese toxicity and on opportunities for preventive intervention. Strong evidence now exists for causal associations between manganese and both neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. The neurodevelopmental effects of early life exposures are an example of the developmental origin of health and disease (DOHAD) concept. Brain imaging has rapidly become an important tool for examining brain areas impacted by manganese at various life stages. Candidate biomarkers of exposure are being identified in hair, nails, and teeth and reflect different exposure windows and relate to different health outcomes. Sex differences were reported in several studies, suggesting that women are more susceptible. New evidence indicates that the transporter genes SLC30A10 and SLC39A8 influence both manganese homeostasis and toxicity. New potential chelation modalities are being developed.