California State University Los Angeles proposes to renew and expand its highly successful MARC U*STAR Program. We propose an integrated four-year institutional program that assists talented Cal State LA science students in becoming outstanding within their science discipline, supports their motivation for a career in research, confident in their abilities, creative in their approach, resilient to adversity in the laboratory r in the classroom, and develops their leadership skills. We propose a program composed of two parts: first, a Pre-Trainee experience whose emphasis is enhancing the academic achievements of all Cal State LA freshmen and sophomore science students in the participating departments and support their motivation for careers in the sciences, especially in biomedical research. The most ambitious part is the complete transformation of all lower-division courses in the biology, microbiology, chemistry and biochemistry majors to include research or research-like experiences. We intend to better prepare students by having them learn science by teaching them how science is done. Pedagogy will demonstrate epistemology. In the second part, the 10 selected juniors and 10 senior MARC U*STAR trainees will participate in a focused and rigorous program designed to prepare them for success in PhD study in the biomedical sciences. The program is composed of: 1) a solid and transformed science curriculum enhanced by a program of deliberate co-curricular activities, including: 2) participation in special workshops, and in courses; 3) introduction to research early in the undergraduate career, followed by strong year-round research opportunities at Cal State LA and other institutions; 4) careful academic and career advisement; 5) networking through the deliberate interaction of the MARC students with science faculty and other successful Cal State LA science students; and 6) participation in a biomedical sciences seminar series. We expect that the number of accomplished minority students motivated to careers in biomedical research will greatly increase. We will enrich the American biomedical and behavioral research enterprise by developing and making available to top PhD programs the creativity and intellectual talents of our most outstanding and motivated undergraduates. The Cal State LA MARC U*STAR program will be part of a strong foundation as our students seek and earn the PhD and postdoctoral training, establish careers as independent investigators, and assume leadership positions in American science.

Public Health Relevance

The proposed MARC U*STAR project will develop the most talented and motivated minority science students at California State University, Los Angeles for success in top PhD programs. This will make available a broad diversity of intellectual perspectives available to solve the nation's biomedical research problems. The Cal State LA MARC U*STAR Program proposed for renewal is relevant to the mission of the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences and its Training, Workforce Development & Diversity Division by contributing significantly to the development of a highly trained and diverse biomedical and behavioral research workforce.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
MARC Undergraduate NRSA Institutional Grants (T34)
Project #
5T34GM008228-31
Application #
9275496
Study Section
NIGMS Initial Review Group (TWD)
Program Officer
Koduri, Sailaja
Project Start
1998-06-01
Project End
2018-05-31
Budget Start
2017-06-01
Budget End
2018-05-31
Support Year
31
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
California State University Los Angeles
Department
Chemistry
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
066697590
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90032
Aguilar, Andres; Truong, Benson R; Gutierrez, Frank (2018) Complete mitochondrial DNA genomes for two northeast Pacific mesopelagic fishes, the Mexican lampfish (Triphoturus mexicanus) and black-belly dragonfish (Stomias atriventer). Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 3:21-23
Sato, Kirk N; Powell, Jackson; Rudie, Dave et al. (2018) Evaluating the promise and pitfalls of a potential climate change-tolerant sea urchin fishery in southern California. ICES J Mar Sci 75:1029-1041
Urrutia, Hugo; Aleman, Abigail; Eivers, Edward (2016) Drosophila Dullard functions as a Mad phosphatase to terminate BMP signaling. Sci Rep 6:32269
Lee, Jivianne T; Escobar, Oswaldo H; Anouseyan, Rabin et al. (2014) Assessment of epithelial innate antimicrobial factors in sinus tissue from patients with and without chronic rhinosinusitis. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol 4:893-900
Yamazaki, Katrina Go; Andreyev, Aleksander Y; Ortiz-Vilchis, Pilar et al. (2014) Intravenous (-)-epicatechin reduces myocardial ischemic injury by protecting mitochondrial function. Int J Cardiol 175:297-306
Warner, Wayne A; Sanchez, Ricardo; Dawoodian, Alex et al. (2012) Identification of FDA-approved drugs that computationally bind to MDM2. Chem Biol Drug Des 80:631-7
Regan, Pamela C; Lakhanpal, Saloni; Anguiano, Carlos (2012) Relationship outcomes in Indian-American love-based and arranged marriages. Psychol Rep 110:915-24
Martinez Rodriguez, Nadine R; Eloi, Marjannie D; Huynh, Alexandria et al. (2012) Expansion of Paneth cell population in response to enteric Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium infection. Infect Immun 80:266-75
Celaje, Jeff A; Zhang, Dong; Guerrero, Angela M et al. (2011) Chemistry of trans-resveratrol with singlet oxygen: [2+2] addition, [4+2] addition, and formation of the phytoalexin moracin M. Org Lett 13:4846-9
Momand, Jamil; Villegas, Alberto; Belyi, Vladimir A (2011) The evolution of MDM2 family genes. Gene 486:23-30

Showing the most recent 10 out of 18 publications