? Research Education Core (REC) The overall mission of the Research Education Core (REC) will be to create the diverse human resources capable of conducting team-based interdisciplinary research focused on addressing the complex problems posed by chemical agents. Advanced training in basic and translational sciences, toxicology, and drug discovery will be provided to the next generation of researchers, more specifically, technicians, medical and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and/or early stage investigators within and outside the UC Davis CounterACT Center. Accordingly, the REC will interact with all cores and projects of the Center. The educational environment at UC Davis is unique. UC Davis is a national leader in pharmacology and toxicology with over 100 faculty whose expertise includes fundamental toxicology, medicinal chemistry, drug screening, mechanistic target identification, animal models of disease, as well as preclinical testing and participation in clinical trials. The great depth and breadth of campus activities are reflected in the expertise found in the Center investigators. The training of future leaders in the development of medical countermeasures for chemical threat agents is critical to the success of the CounterACT program and to national emergency response and preparedness efforts. The REC will focus on three main objectives to accomplish this goal. Objective 1 will develop skill sets necessary for the study of toxicology and drug discovery related to chemical threat agents. First, hands- on interdisciplinary and collaborative research training primarily in the laboratories of the project and core leaders will be provided. Second, specialized didactic training in areas relevant to the Center's mission will be accomplished by presenting information via workshops, seminars, and specialized coursework. Objective 2 will enhance the recruitment of participants from underrepresented backgrounds into the CounterACT Center of Excellence in particular, and in toxicology and drug discovery in general. Objective 3 will evaluate the activities of the Core to assess effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. The REC will advance the knowledge and careers of Center trainees by providing opportunities to interact with and learn from both internal and external scientists with expertise relevant to the CounterACT mission. By fulfilling these aims, the REC will accomplish its goal of developing a diverse group of scientists with broader understanding of the concepts, challenges, and opportunities in drug discovery and development of medical countermeasures of chemical threats.
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