A group of investigators seeks to renew and expand the NIH-funded interdisciplinary training program in Muscle Research at the University of Minnesota, for both predoctoral and postdoctoral scientists. The primary purpose of this expansion is to add increased emphasis on basic and translational research on muscle disease. This program began four years ago with a primary focus on basic research. During this time, the Academic Health Center has placed a high priority on the expansion of muscle research at all levels, particularly translational research, defined here as research aimed at the development of new therapeutic approaches. The institution has recruited internationally prominent researchers in muscle disease and therapy and has established new institutes and facilities that support this research. Most importantly, in 2003, the Paul and Sheila Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Center was established, under the direction of two members of our Program Faculty. The Medical School has committed substantial resources to this new Center, including new faculty positions and space in the Translational Research Facility, which is now under construction. These developments have led us to increase our Program Faculty from 14 to 23, and the number of annual trainee applications has increased from 16 to 34. To accommodate this increased level of activity, we propose that this training program be expanded to support 6 predoctoral trainees (from 4) and 2 postdoctoral trainees (from 1). Program faculty will be drawn from a wide range of departments in the Academic Health Center, and most of the graduate students will be enrolled as minors or majors in the interdepartmental graduate programs in (a) Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics or (b) Neuroscience. The intellectual center of the program is an intensive one-semester course entitled """"""""Muscle"""""""" taught by the program faculty and emphasizing both basic science and muscle disease. This course will be expanded to accommodate our increasing emphasis on muscle disease and translational research. This is augmented by a monthly seminar program, an annual symposium, and a summer laboratory course. The primary goal of the program is to help these exceptional young scientists develop the intellectual and technical tools needed for productive careers as independent investigators and educators in muscle research.
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