Students Training in Advanced Research (STAR) Program

University Of California At Davis, Davis CA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT This is a competing renewal application of the highly successful UC Davis T35 STAR (Students Training in Advanced Research). The program has trained 300 DVM students over the last 25 years. Students are encouraged and mentored to submit hypothesis-driven research proposals during the first and second years of their veterinary training program. The objective of the STAR program is to provide DVM students stipend support to join experienced training faculty members and their productive research teams in 10 weeks of structured research mentoring and hands-on modern biomedical research. The program emphasizes 5 fundamental research objectives: 1) how to gain knowledge and understanding of one’s field of science; 2) how to formulate a scientifically sound and testable hypothesis; 3) identify specific objectives, conduct control methodical experiments, and develop technical expertise; 4) analyze results, derive conclusions, propose additional experiments, and anticipate new directions; and 5) convey research findings succinctly and convincingly to others. Responsible conduct of research and scientific rigor are key components of the training plan. The STAR program has consistently received 48 applicants annually, with 15 positions supported by the NIH T35 mechanism for students interested in participating in NIH-relevant research. Students with broad interests ranging from molecular and cellular medicine to biomedical engineering, vector-borne diseases, and epidemiology will be trained. The program maintains 44 faculty trainers with proven successes in undergraduate, predoctoral, and postdoctoral training. Thus, students have access to research projects conducted not only on a variety of lab animal species (C. elegans, zebrafish, rodents, non-human primates) but also clinical research on companion and food animals and transdisciplinary “One Health” research experiences about disease emergence and transmission at the interface of animals, humans, and their environment. Our students are from diverse backgrounds, underrepresented in veterinary medicine, and largely female. As such we have shifted our trainers to serve as appropriate role models with an increasing number of veterinary clinician scientists and women. The greatest strengths of our short-term training program include the outstanding quality and motivation of our DVM students, the strong, highly collaborative, multidisciplinary nature of our research programs, and student access to translational research projects that use innovative approaches. Trainees will have access to advanced technologies, such as epi/genomics and metabolomics, proteomics, state-of-the-art imaging, BSL3 labs, genetically modified organisms, and gnotobiotic and inhalation facilities. Over 50% of the trainees from our program have pursued additional research training after STAR in the last 15 years. This five-year competitive renewal application requests to maintain support for 15 DVM students per year for each of five years (a total of 75 students) in order to maintain T35 program missions and spark the interest of the next generation of DVM clinician-scientists that will take leadership positions in academia, government, and the private sector.