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 pre-doctoral trainees (Ph.D. candidates) and six postdoctoral trainees (those having a Ph.D., M.D., D.V.M., etc.). This interdisciplinary program emphasizes molecular aspects of toxicology related to environmental health. The faculty is drawn from individuals with appointments in Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Medicine, Pathology, Pediatrics, and Pharmacology, all of whom train postdoctoral fellows. Graduate students in the program obtain degrees through Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, 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 operation and application of instrumental systems in research. Graduate students are recruited to the Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry through departmental mechanisms, with assistance from the Center in Molecular Toxicology. In the other three (biomedical) departments, graduate students are initially recruited into either the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program or the Chemical and Physical Biology Program, where they spend the first 9 months in a relatively common core curriculum and do four laboratory rotations. Graduate students are recruited into toxicology from these first year pools (the initial year is supported by the institution). Both pre-doctoral and postdoctoral trainees are selected by the Center's Steering Committee, with guidelines to ensure distribution of trainees and monitoring of progress. The list of preceptors includes twenty-two faculties who are all Center investigators. Major research areas in the Center include oxidative damage, DNA damage and genetic instability, maintenance of genomic integrity, enzymatic biotransformation and reactions of electrophiles, and neurotoxicology. 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. BACKGROUND This toxicology program at Vanderbilt began in the 1970s. The focus of the training has changed over the years. Initially, the focus was on practical toxicology of pesticides, metals, and other hazardous chemicals. During the 1970s, the focus moved to biochemical toxicology. Since the 1980s, the emphasis has been on molecular toxicology with a recent focus on the integration of clinical themes. Originally, the Training Program was housed in the Department of Biochemistry. However, over time the program became interdepartmental. Currently, there are 22 mentors for this Training Program with primary appointments within the Departments of Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Pathology, Pediatrics, Pharmacology, and Medicine. The Training Program has a long history of training individuals who go on to have productive careers in academia, research institutes, and industry.
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