This program will provide integrated pre-doctoral training in the pharmacological sciences and funding for 11 students in the Division of Basic Sciences (DBS), the interdisciplinary graduate curriculum of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Graduates of the program will be well-prepared to pursue postdoctoral training or other career paths that lead to independent research programs focused on theoretical, molecular, cellular, and organismal approaches to understanding the mechanism of action of drugs, hormones, and other regulatory molecules. Recognizing the interdisciplinary nature of modern pharmacology, students will also receive instruction in biochemistry, quantitative biology, molecular and cell biology, and physiology. Training in quantitative methods, grant writing skills, journal clubs, student research seminars, and dissertation research projects will complete the training experience. Students will also receive opportunities to present their work orally or in posters at national and international meetings. All students wil be encouraged to finish their training within 5 years of matriculating. Trainees: Students with strong undergraduate training in physical and biological science who have completed the integrated first year curriculum of the DBS or the first two years of our M.D./Ph.D. program will be eligible for appointment as a trainee. Most students will be within the first two years of matriculation, but exceptions for uniquely qualified advanced students will be considered. Selection by the Steering Committee will be based on a student's academic performance, the mentor's research program, and the commitment of the student to pursue training consistent with goals of the program. Particular emphasis will be placed on candidates that are diamonds-in-the-rough and show potential beyond their didactic training credentials. Faculty: The 69 members of the training faculty come from 19 different departments, 5 different Centers, and represent 9 of the 10 interdisciplinary graduate programs of the DBS. Many students and mentors participate in the Cell Regulation graduate program of the DBS. These individuals bring a wealth of experience (including Nobel laureates and National Academy members) and provide substantial diversity in their approaches to problems of pharmacological interest. Senior, mid-level, and junior faculty are represented, and the UT Southwestern Endowed Scholars program continues to provide a yearly influx of talented new junior faculty to the program.
The decline in early stage drug discovery research in the U.S. has resulted in a paucity of new approaches to develop therapeutic agents to treat human diseases. Nevertheless, recent technological breakthroughs and the ability to map intra- and intercellular regulatory networks in great detail have created unique opportunities to discover and characterize novel therapeutics. This program seeks to train the next generation of scientists who will make these discoveries and insure that scientific research on human health remains vibrant and at the cutting edge.
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