Training Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology

Weill Medical Coll Of Cornell Univ, New York NY

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of the Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB) Training Program, for which this application is seeking renewal of support, is to provide an unsurpassed body of scientific and academic training in molecular and cell biology to individuals who will become future leaders in the biomedical sciences. MCB students form an integral, yet distinct part of BCMB, the combined graduate training endeavor of the Molecular Biology (MB), Cell Biology and Genetics (CBG), and Biochemistry and Structural Biology (BSB) Graduate Programs, three of the seven degree granting units within the Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University. The Graduate School is jointly run by the Weill Medical College of Cornell University and the Sloan-Kettering Institute. The MCB Graduate Program includes 62 faculty members with a strong collective experience as graduate mentors. The research interests of the faculty in the MCB Training program are thematically represented in six specific areas, each of which is represented by several of the world leaders in the field: Genetics and Genomic Integrity, Cell Structure &Function, Tissue Biology &Development, Cell Regulation &Signaling, Biology &Disease, and Molecular Biochemistry &Biophysics. During the first two years, the MCB Training Program includes a core curriculum of courses and choice of electives, 3 laboratory rotations, as well as attendance and participation in Graduate Student Research Seminars. MCB students are mentored by the Training Program Director, attend specialized Training Program events, and are preferentially selected for graduate course Teaching Assistantships. The BCMB Program Directors, the Curriculum Committee, and the First Year Graduate Student Advisors, jointly with the Program Director of the Training Grant, form the governing, training, and advisory bodies in the MCB Training Program. Currently, the BCMB Program admits approximately 23 students per year on funds provided equally by the Weill-Cornell and Sloan-Kettering divisions plus funds provided by this Training Grant. The Program has continued to grow both in size and popularity, due to new faculty recruitment and the success of our current students and recent graduates, and attracts an increasing number of outstanding candidates that are eligible as MCB trainees. We are therefore requesting continuation of this grant, with a level of funding to support a total of 8 first and second year graduate students.