REU Site: Training and Experimentation in Computational Biology (TECBio)

University Of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

This REU Site award to The University of Pittsburgh, located in Pittsburgh, PA, will support the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2021-2024. It is anticipated that a total of 40 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities or from an underrepresented group, will be trained in the program called Training and Experimentation in Computational Biology (TECBio). Rising Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors from the life, physical, and computer sciences and engineering are encouraged to apply. The TECBio REU is positioned to provide foundational training to students in the emerging field of computational biology. Assessment of the program will be done through the online SALG URSSA tool. Following completion of the program, TECBio alumni will receive continued mentoring by program directors and mentors, who will track and maintain contact with students in order to determine and support their career paths. The TECBio REU @ Pitt is housed in the Department of Computational and Systems Biology at the University of Pittsburgh and has the scientific focus of “multiscale modeling, simulation, and systems-level analyses for biological discovery”. TECBio students can expect a challenging and fulfilling experience that will prepare them for graduate school success. TECBio students pick from 35 diverse research mentors in 5 major research areas at the cutting-edge of computational biology (computational structural biology, computational drug discovery, genomics/bioinformatics, bioimage informatics, and systems biology). Students will also receive training in how to be a more effective mentee, participate in a journal club, attend research and career seminars, learn the responsible conduct of research, present at symposia, and participate in social, cohort-building, networking, and leadership-enhancing events. Successful applicants will demonstrate a desire to pursue interdisciplinary research and graduate training in computational biology or related fields. More information about the program is available on our website www.tecbioreu.pitt.edu or by contacting the PI (Dr. Joe Ayoob at jayoob@pitt.edu) or the Program Coordinator (Mr. Adam Kohlhaas at tecbio@pitt.edu). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.