The last period of T32 funding was accompanied by growth in the presence of aging research with the installation of 2 new Centers within the institute for Aging research and its ~50 investigators. The Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging (NIA) has Cores and pilot and feasibility grants and the Glenn Center for the Biology of Human Aging provides pilot and feasibility studies to move into human genome, tissues and drug research. Together with 3 aging-related program projects (P01) in genetics and the biology of aging, R01s, K awards funding from AFAR and the Ellison Medical Foundation, and a graduate course in Biology of Aging, we have capabilities for great exposure to aging research when training graduates and post-doctoral fellows. This last period of T32 funding has been a success judging by the quality of candidates, their scientific and academic achievement, the number of trainees who are now successful faculty members, the number of MDs trained and the number of minority individuals trained. Because we do not wish to reject or defer excellent candidates, we ask for one additional slot for pre-doctoral trainees and one for postdoctoral trainees for our program. For this competitive renewal application for this Training Grant, we propose new approaches and changes to our training: 1) Our focus is on the 3 'legs' of modern aging research with all investigators funded at least in part for aging research: Aging-Genomics (Jan Vijg, group leader); Aging-Metabolism (Nir Barzilai, group leader); and Cellular-Aging (Ana Maria Cuervo group leader); 2) We have a cadre of young funded investigators who will become mentors alongside an experienced co-mentor. Thus we do not limit this opportunity only to senior mentors with a more extensive track record and make ensure quality training. 2) We will encourage participation in P01 projects where the group exposure is more intense and projects tend to have translational aspects. 3) Based on our success during the last funding period, we will continue to seek MDs who are ready to transit to academic life in genetics or biology of aging. 4) All of our trainees commit to take the 30 hour, highly ranked, graduate course on the biology of aging. 5) Numerous seminars, retreats and symposiums are available for trainees to present their work and interact on an Institutional level. Thus, our training program has been very strong and is getting stronger due to the uniqueness of our Institute and its resources, allowing participants to gain state-of-the-art research training, enabling them to embark on careers involving research in aging and aging-related diseases.
This last period of T32 funding to train the scientists of tomorrow in aging research has been a success judging by the quality of candidates, their scientific and academic achievement, the number of trainees who are now successful faculty members, the number of MDs trained and the number of minority individuals trained. Within our collaborative environment lies a strong emphasis on translational research from a diverse group of mentors who are well-funded investigators in aging-related research and who have access to a diverse pool of potential trainees. For this Training Grant renewal, we propose new approaches and changes to our training, focusing on the 3 'legs' of modern aging research: Aging and Genomics, Aging and Metabolism ; and Cellular-Aging.
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