Training Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology

Weill Medical Coll Of Cornell Univ, New York NY

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Abstract

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of the Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Training Program, for which this application is seeking continued support, is to provide scientific and academic training to pre-doctoral individuals from diverse backgrounds to pursue investigative careers and become future leaders in the biomedical sciences. The Training program is an integral but distinct part of the umbrella Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences Program, which is jointly administered by the Weill Cornell Medical College and the Sloan-Kettering Institute. The program is inter-disciplinary and incorporates research programs in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology from six out of its nine Programs of Study, including Cell and Developmental Biology, Biochemistry & Structural Biology, Molecular Biology, Neurosciences, Pharmacology, and Physiology, Biophysics, & Systems Biology. The Training Program includes 46 faculty members from both institutions with strong collective experience in academic research and training of pre- and post-doctoral students. The research interests in the Training Program are represented by the following five areas: Developmental Genetics, Patterning of Tissues and Organs, Stems Cells, Signaling in Development, and Human Development and Disease. Eligible students are selected by the Program Director, the co-Director and the Executive Committee, based on their promise of excellence. The Training program includes a core curriculum of courses and three laboratory rotations in year-1, two signature courses, Principles of Developmental Biology and Stem Cells, and a tutored grant writing course in preparation for the ACE (Admission to Candidacy Exam) during year-2, and journal article-based Focus Groups in Tissue Biology and Development, and participation in Graduate Student Research Seminars during years 2 to 5. Eligible trainees are selected for stipend and tuition support during years 3 and 4 of training. Trainees are mentored by the Program Director, and they attend specialized Training Program events, including seminars by invited speakers, Research-in-Progress seminars, and Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Biology workshops and symposia. Since the start of the first funding period 4 years ago, 11 pre-doctoral trainees have been selected, 4 of who are underrepresented minorities. The first group of students graduated during the past year; they are presently post-doctoral fellows or NIH fellows. We have been able to select outstanding students, as illustrated by a total 28 publications, 14 of which are first-author manuscripts, and 53 posters and 21 oral presentations given by the students. The number of faculty and students engaged in the Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Training Program has steadily increased over the past decade. Presently, it includes 46 faculty mentors and 134 (up from 54 students in 2009) training grant- eligible students, 20 of who (15%) are minority students (up from 7 students in 2009; 13%). To continue with providing training of students with a commitment to excellence, we seek support for a total of six graduate students in their third and fourth year of training.