The current NIBIB T32 postdoctoral training program, Training Without Borders: Translational Research in Regenerative Medicine (2012-2017), has focused on two innovative features: (1) the concept of a geographically dispersed training faculty to harness a unique team of mentors; and (2) a combination of conventional academic training (state-of-the-art science, proposal writing, responsible conduct of research) together with training in translation and commercialization. This has resulted in a geographically dispersed community of learning. The core strength of this program has been its interdisciplinary breadth, providing trainees with opportunities to conduct research on rationally designed biomaterials, bioactive microenvironments, cell profiling technologies, and regenerative biology. Based on this success the proposed training program (2018-2023) will retain the current structure, revise the mentor-institution network, and use a new paradigm - Bench-to-Business-to-Bedside (B3). While the term Bench-to-Bedside is often used to describe translation, we believe that the B3 model offers more relevant training in translation by providing trainees with mentoring constellations consisting of academic, industrial, and clinical subject matter experts. In addition to focusing on state-of-the-art science, postdoctoral training programs must improve the chances of their trainees finding employment across all sectors: academia, industry, and alternative career paths, in order to ultimately achieve clinical therapies. We have coined the term innovation-primed science to represent a range of breakthrough, innovation- generating scientific ideas that will offer our trainees a range of scientific projects to work on, from pioneering basic science to commercialization-ready projects, for which proof-of-concept has already been established. We will create a unique training infrastructure that is made up not only of the traditional academic mentors (scientific or clinical faculty who lead top laboratories), but also of a Translation Advisory Board (TAB) comprising experts in regenerative medicine and clinical practice, entrepreneurs, industrial scientists, investors, and leading subject-matter experts in translation and commercialization. The TAB will effectively fill the expertise gap among our academic faculty mentors, by completing a mentoring constellation of academic, industrial, and clinical experts for each trainee. A rich didactic program will combine both established approaches and new concepts to deliver a balance of experience to trainees while optimizing the expertise of 14 core mentors and 16 clinical, industrial and entrepreneurial advisors. Specific program elements are Individualized B3 Mentoring Constellations, Face-to- Face Interactions and Workshops, Online Interactions and Seminar Series, Defined and Monitored Integration of Didactic Elements during the Fellowship Term, Mentoring of Trainees and Professional Development, and Supporting Junior Mentors.

Public Health Relevance

This training program aims to create 'B3-Trained' professionals who have received intense exposure to a 'Bench-to-Business-to-Bedside' approach. These are scientists with expert problem-solving skills in their home disciplines, who are also entrepreneurial and have crucial skills such as budgeting, project management, running meetings, and writing effective nontechnical prose. By complementing traditional academic mentors with a Translation Advisory Board (experts in regenerative medicine and clinical practice, entrepreneurs, industrial scientists, investors), trainees will engage in a range of breakthrough, innovation-generating scientific projects which we have termed, 'innovation-primed science.'

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
Type
Institutional National Research Service Award (T32)
Project #
2T32EB005583-16A1
Application #
9488969
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZEB1)
Program Officer
Erim, Zeynep
Project Start
2000-09-01
Project End
2023-05-31
Budget Start
2018-06-01
Budget End
2019-05-31
Support Year
16
Fiscal Year
2018
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Rutgers University
Department
Type
Organized Research Units
DUNS #
001912864
City
Piscataway
State
NJ
Country
United States
Zip Code
Harris, Greg M; Raitman, Irene; Schwarzbauer, Jean E (2018) Cell-derived decellularized extracellular matrices. Methods Cell Biol 143:97-114
Chopra, Anant; Kutys, Matthew L; Zhang, Kehan et al. (2018) Force Generation via ?-Cardiac Myosin, Titin, and ?-Actinin Drives Cardiac Sarcomere Assembly from Cell-Matrix Adhesions. Dev Cell 44:87-96.e5
Polacheck, William J; Kutys, Matthew L; Yang, Jinling et al. (2017) A non-canonical Notch complex regulates adherens junctions and vascular barrier function. Nature 552:258-262
Harris, Greg M; Madigan, Nicolas N; Lancaster, Karen Z et al. (2017) Nerve Guidance by a Decellularized Fibroblast Extracellular Matrix. Matrix Biol 60-61:176-189
Pastino, Alexandra K; Greco, Todd M; Mathias, Rommel A et al. (2017) Stimulatory effects of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) on fibronectin matrix assembly. Matrix Biol 59:39-53
Goyal, Ritu; Macri, Lauren K; Kaplan, Hilton M et al. (2016) Nanoparticles and nanofibers for topical drug delivery. J Control Release 240:77-92
Kutys, Matthew L; Chen, Christopher S (2016) Forces and mechanotransduction in 3D vascular biology. Curr Opin Cell Biol 42:73-79
Bennett, Neal K; Chmielowski, Rebecca; Abdelhamid, Dalia S et al. (2016) Polymer brain-nanotherapeutics for multipronged inhibition of microglial ?-synuclein aggregation, activation, and neurotoxicity. Biomaterials 111:179-189
Ekwueme, Emmanuel C; Shah, Jay V; Mohiuddin, Mahir et al. (2016) Cross-Talk Between Human Tenocytes and Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Potentiates Extracellular Matrix Remodeling In Vitro. J Cell Biochem 117:684-93
Lewis, Daniel R; Petersen, Latrisha K; York, Adam W et al. (2016) Nanotherapeutics for inhibition of atherogenesis and modulation of inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques. Cardiovasc Res 109:283-93

Showing the most recent 10 out of 45 publications