We seek renewal of a long running, successful training program in Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB) at Stanford University that has a history of high trainee productivity and of producing leaders in academia and biotechnology. The objectives of the program are to attract an excellent and diverse cohort of trainees, and train them in cutting edge cellular and molecular biology research by providing coursework, seminars, research with outstanding faculty, and intellectual exchange with a vibrant scientific community. Simply put, our mission is to produce tomorrow's leaders in biomedical research. Students are admitted to Stanford through the Global Biosciences Admissions program, which provides them with great flexibility in finding research mentor, but also affiliate with a home program, which provides individualized mentoring, support and a sense of community within the larger landscape of biomedical research at Stanford. CMB trainees are appointed, based on merit, by the CMB program directors and Executive committee, and join the program for years 1-3 of training. Trainees are identified based on their stated interest in cell and molecular biology, and are drawn from 5 different home programs, with the largest group of students coming from the Biology/Cell and Molecular track, or Biochemistry home programs. The CMB program directors and the Executive committee monitor student progress and compliance with programmatic requirements. All trainees fulfill common curricular requirements and participate in specialized program activities that build community among the cohort of CMB trainees. These include the CMB welcome lunch, the annual CMB research symposium, assignment of a CMB mentor who is a member of the Executive Committee outside of their home program, and annual CMB ethics refresher workshops for students in years 2-5. Recent changes to the program include new program directors, Martha Cyert and Julie Theriot, and new appointments to the Executive committee. The graduate curriculum was recently revised to include: 1) an innovative core course for first year students that emphasizes skill development and work in interdisciplinary teams, and 2) mini courses, which provide short, immersive training experiences, particularly in emerging topics and methods. These changes demonstrate the deep commitment that Stanford University and our faculty have to graduate training.
We aim to attract outstanding students, train them in cutting-edge biomedical research through work with excellent faculty, and produce tomorrow's leaders in biomedical research. Advances in cell and molecular biology provide insights into disease, uncover new diagnostics and treatment strategies, and drive economic growth in the technology sector there is a continuing need to train scientists in these areas.
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