Application is made for continued funding of a long-standing program associated with the Center in Molecular Toxicology at Vanderbilt University. Funds are requested to support eight predoctoral (Ph.D. candidates) and six postdoctoral (already having a Ph.D., M.D., D.V.M., etc.) trainees. The program emphasizes molecular aspects of toxicology and is interdisciplinary. The faculty is drawn from individuals with appointments in Biochemistry, Chemistry, Medicine, Pathology, and Pharmacology, all of whom train postdoctoral fellows. Graduate students in the program obtain degrees through Biochemistry, Chemistry, Pathology, or Pharmacology. Considerable emphasis is placed upon research rotations, the thesis research itself, and participation in seminars, journal clubs, and joint research meetings. There is also much opportunity for learning the operation and application of instrumental systems in research. Graduate students are recruited to the Department of Chemistry through departmental mechanisms, with assistance from the Center. In the other three (biomedical) departments, graduate students are initially recruited into the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, where they spend the first 9 months in a relatively common core curriculum and do three laboratory rotations. Graduate students are recruited into Toxicology from these first year pools (the initial year is supported by the institution). Both predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees are selected by the Center's Steering Committee, with guidelines to insure distribution of trainees and monitoring of progress. The list of preceptors includes sixteen faculty, who are all Center investigators. Major research areas in the Center include enzymatic oxidation and conjugation, oxidative damage, DNA damage and mutagenesis, mechanisms of cell signaling, and structural biology relevant to toxicology. Molecular toxicology is recognized as a strong program, and the institution has continued its commitment to making Vanderbilt a leading center for training in this area.
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