We propose to continue to expand upon, and to improve the quality of, the training program in immunology that we have developed at Dartmouth Medical School (DMS) over the last fifteen years of T32 support. The primary goals of the proposed program continue to be to recruit talented and highly-motivated graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and to provide them with first-rate training, which will prepare them for careers in research, including in academia as competitive, independent investigators. The program faculty's research interests span a wide range of immunologic questions, allowing the entering trainee a considerable breadth of experimental and conceptual choices of research topics. Training is available in both animal and human systems, that letter of which enhances our ability to attract and train M.D./Ph.D. predoctoral and M.D. postdoctoral trainees for research careers. Research areas include, but are not limited to, antigen presentation and induction of immunity, tumor immunity and immunotherapy, mucosal immunity including studies of the human female reproductive tract, regulation of immunity, and autoimmunity. A ? critical strength of the proposal is the high quality of the research programs of the 20 well-funded program members, drawn from 7 DMS departments (Anesthesiology, Biochemistry, Medicine, Microbiology & Immunology (M/I), Pathology, Pharmacology/Toxicology, and Physiology). These P.I.'s have productive, timely, and energetic ongoing research efforts. With the six new faculty positions associated with training grant Director Dr. Green's appointment as M/I Department Chair in 2002, a cadre of new Assistant Professors will soon be available to allow the continuous renewal of the training faculty. Excellent facilities exist at DMS, particularly with the construction in 1992 of the Borwell Research Building and the Rubin Building housing the NCI supported Norris Cotton Cancer Center, already recently (2003) expanded. The labs are fully equipped so that the full range of state-of-the-art immunologic, biochemical, and molecular biologic techniques can be applied to various experimental questions. In addition, the Medical School has increased its support of the Immunology Program because of the strength of its faculty and the NIH COBRE grant in immunology, and has provided funding to create an Immunotherapy Center. Training in immunology spans three graduate programs - Physiology, Pharmacology/Toxicology, and Molecular and Cellular Biology, with the latter containing the majority of the participating faculty and students. Consistent with this organization, graduate training in immunology at Dartmouth follows a multi/interdisciplinary approach nurtured by a highly interactive environment. The trainees are regularly exposed to diverse areas of faculty expertise, from clinical to basic science studies, in a variety of forums, including advanced courses, weekly seminar series, journal clubs, and retreats. Students and postdoctorals benefit from a vigorous faculty involvement and scientific exchange characteristic of the Dartmouth tradition of close student-faculty interactions. Indeed, the key to the proposed program is the uniform enthusiastic participation of our nationally and internationally recognized program faculty. ? ? ?
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