The goal of this training program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Genetics is to produce Ph. D. graduates who have made significant and original contributions to, and have broad expertise in, the biomedical sciences. This renewal application is to continue the program with support for 20 trainees (5-7 trainees per year over 2-3 years), which in the last ten years has graduated 69 Ph. D's, most of whom are currently professionals contributing to a wide range of scientific endeavors. The present program is a highly visible and coherent training effort at Einstein. Reinvigorated leadership of the graduate school, a better pool of matriculants and a new dean, provide outstanding opportunities for the future. Faculty trainers are selected based on their successful research programs, and commitment to graduate teaching and mentoring. All but new trainers have substantial mentoring experience. A new research building near completion and ongoing departmental recruiting will mean ~30 new trainers will be available for potential appointment to the program. After completion of a first year of courses and research rotations, trainees are reviewed by the steering committee and interviewed by the program director before appointment. Students are encouraged to take four core courses which are led and team taught by program faculty. Additionally, three more courses and a rigorous qualifying examination must be passed. Faculty mentors and student trainees meet bimonthly for a work-in-progress session at which each trainee presents their research. In addition trainees must attend a course in responsible conduct of research. Trainees are guided in their research by a thesis committee of faculty trainers with expertise that is directly relevant to their thesis project. A retreat is held yearly at which senior trainees present their thesis work, a former trainee presents a seminar, and small group discussions on ethics are held. The program mission is to identify research projects that target significant biological questions, that require a range of experimental strategies for their investigation, and that may be completed in about 5 years. State-of-the-art core facilities and equipment at Einstein, joint journal clubs, courses that are taught across departmental lines, and extensive interactions between research groups make this multidisciplinary approach possible. Ph. D. graduates develop the expertise, knowledge and critical abilities essential for a successful career in science.
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