The Cell, Molecular, and Genetics (CMG) Training Program at the University of California, San Diego is currently in its 25th year. This program is the foundation of the Ph.D. training effort in the biological sciences at UCSD, as it supports the very best graduate students from the Biology-Salk and Chemistry-Biochemistry Ph.D. programs. The mission of the CMG Training Program is to provide rigorous basic research training in cell biology, molecular biology, and genetics to outstanding young biomedical researchers in the earlier years of their doctoral studies. Specific emphasis is placed upon the creativity, quality, and impact of the research, the ethical conduct of research, the achievement of racial diversity among biomedical researchers, the ability of the trainees to communicate their results effectively, and the promotion of cooperation and collaboration among scientists. While the new director has already made an impressive impact and demonstrates significant potential for leading this program to a greater level of accomplishment, more time is needed to correct the weaknesses mentioned above. Thus, funding for three years at the current slot level is recommended to provide for a timelier reassessment of progress. The CMG Program Director is Dr. Jim Kadonaga. He has been a member of the Biology Department/Division at UCSD since 1988, and is currently Professor and Vice Chair of the Molecular Biology Section. Dr. Kadonaga works with an Advisory Committee for the CMG Training Program that consists of Drs. Lorraine Pillus, Steve Wasserman, Bart Sefton, Elizabeth Komives, and Bill McGinnis. There are currently 98 training faculty from the UCSD Division of Biology, Salk Institute, UCSD Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the UCSD Medical School. The CMG Training Program provides support for 45 outstanding Ph.D. students that are selected from a five-fold larger pool of eligible students (currently, 224 eligible students). The trainees fulfill the general requirements of their respective graduate programs and additionally participate in CMG-specific training activities, which include biannual CMG Training Program Symposia, annual One-on-One Conferences with the Program Director, and CMG Career Development Workshops. Over the past 10 years, 124 CMG trainees have successfully completed their Ph.D. thesis. Past and present CMG trainees have contributed an enormous wealth of fascinating and important knowledge to the biological sciences through a total of 411 publications (not including abstracts). With the projected growth of biology at UCSD, we envision the implementation of an even stronger CMG Training Program over the next five years.
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