Integrated Training in Pharmacological Sciences

Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai, New York NY

Investigators

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Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Mount Sinai Integrated Training Program in Pharmacological Sciences aims to provide rigorous training in basic sciences underlying the processes by which therapeutic targets are identified and lead compounds developed. Pharmacology as a discipline is always evolving. Whereas, Pharmacology will always at its core be about "drugs", the nature of the drugs themselves is changing. New information from genomic and proteomic sciences, is leading to new drug targets. Gene and cell based therapies, while still primarily experimental, hold tremendous therapeutic promise. In the future, pharmacokinetic principles of drug absorption, distribution and elimination developed for small molecules will also be applied routinely to DNA delivery. Recognizing the breadth of modem pharmacology, we have developed a training program that builds on the strengths of this institution and encompasses emerging areas of drug discovery. Our training program has three thematic areas: 1) Molecular Pharmacology and Structure-based Drug Design, 2) Cellular Networks as Drug Targets, and 3) Translational Research in Pharmacology. Molecular Pharmacology and structure-based drug design build on faculty expertise in marcomolecular and protein-protein interactions and computational analysis of macromolecular structures. Cellular networks as drug targets concentrates on the functional characterization of cell signaling pathways and networks, as a basis for the identification of new drug targets. Translational research in Pharmacology takes advantage of the close ties between the school and the hospital and a cadre of talented biomedical scientists who are at the forefront of taking drugs "from the bench to the bedside". We seek renewal of support for this integrated multi-disciplinary pre-doctoral program in Pharmacological Sciences. Funds will be used to support trainees for a period of up to three years; generally corresponding to training years 2-4. Financial support and advanced training in Pharmacology during the formative years are expected to have a positive impact on the eventual career choices made by graduates of our program. During the past two years of training grant support, the training program has fifteen students, four of whom are underrepresented minorities. Of the fifteen students, three are supported by this training grant. We are requesting a graded increase in number of students funded by the training grant to four per year. Mount Sinai School of Medicine and its research enterprise have been rapidly growing. It is currently ranked 22nd in the country. This growth in quality is reflected in our trainees. All three of trainees supported by this grant have published in top journals such as the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Molecular Cell and Journal of Virology. Graduates from the laboratories of Program Faculty in the past two years have published in top journals and gone to postdoctoral positions at UCSF, Hopkins and Harvard. Dr. Ravi Iyengar, Chairman of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry and the PI of this training grant, has been the catalyst for recruiting 5 new faculty members to the Department within the last three years. The enhanced research activities, a reconfigured curriculum that includes course-work in emerging areas such as Pharmacogenomics and Stem Cell Biology, rotations, seminars, and journal clubs ensure that our students continue to receive a broad training in modem Pharmacology and be very well prepared to pursue a career in Pharmacology. [unreadable] [unreadable]