This competitive renewal application requests continued support for a Training Program in Biomolecular Signal Transduction at Thomas Jefferson University. This program was established in 1994 and provides broad interdisciplinary training at the pre-doctoral and post-doctoral levels in the field of signal transduction. Program faculty are drawn from members of three basic science departments (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Microbiology & Immunology, and Pathology, Cell Biology, & Anatomy) and two clinical divisions (Endocrinology and Clinical Pharmacology) in the Department of Medicine. Specific training areas include growth factor and G protein-coupled receptor signaling, signal integration, protein targeting and trafficking, cell cycle regulation, and apoptosis. The overall goal of the program is to provide aspiring researchers with the training and experience necessary to establish careers as independent investigators. The pre-doctoral training program is available to students who hold a bachelor degree from an accredited institution who wish to pursue biomedical research careers. Applicants must have a solid background in the biological and chemical sciences. Grade point averages, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, prior research experience, and interviews are the major criteria for acceptance into the program. Pre-doctoral matriculates must complete a rigorous series of graduate courses giving them a thorough background in biochemistry, pharmacology, genetics, cell and molecular biology, bioinformatics, and research ethics. Students are also required to complete a minimum of three laboratory rotations within the first year of matriculation. Students also have ample opportunity to present seminars on their own work and on the current literature to faculty and fellow trainees in both formal and informal settings. The post-doctoral training program is available to individuals who hold the Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent doctoral degree and acceptance depends upon past research and educational experience. Pre-doctoral and post-doctoral trainees are required to actively participate in Research-In-Progress seminars as well as a Cell Signaling seminar series. The goal of this program is to develop highly trained research scientists in the broad area of biomolecular signal transduction.
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