This application seeks five years' continued funding for a training program supporting four predoctoral students and one postdoctoral student with the aim of producing independent investigators capable of sustaining productive research programs in the vision sciences. The program is designed for training students in the areas of molecular/cellular biology, genetics, biochemistry, and immunology with particular focus on training in vision research. Preceptors have been selected with an emphasis both on the productivity of their current research and on their training records. The training program is organized to rigorously instruct and reinforce skills pertinent to experimental science and involves a combination of coursework, independent research, oral presentations (in-house, national and international), written research proposals, and the sharpening of communicative skills through continuous mentor feedback and peer review. The program is interdisciplinary and utilizes a core group of fourteen preceptors with active research and training programs whose primary and joint appointments span six basic science departments at the University of Florida College of Medicine. All predoctoral students are admitted through a common College-wide graduate training program, the Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences (IDP), and follow a common first year core curriculum. The Department of Ophthalmology serves as the administrative and logistical center for the NEI training program, but individual faculty preceptors maintain primary graduate training appointments in the Departments of Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Genetics, Neuroscience, Pharmacology, and Physiology. The Department of Ophthalmology adds depth to the program by providing exposure to current problems in clinical ophthalmology in order to acquaint the graduate and postdoctoral student with relevant clinical issues in vision. Overall we propose an integrated program of research training in key biological disciplines aimed at producing productive vision researchers. ? ?
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