The mission of the Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program (CMBTP) is to provide trainees with a multidisciplinary conceptual and technical foundation for developing independent careers conducting transformative research in the biomedical sciences. Strengths of the CMBTP include strong interdisciplinary training with a well-funded cadre of faculty, multiple crosscutting activities that bring together diverse faculty and trainees, trainee oversight and a rigorous selection process. Molecular cell biology in the 21st Century is increasingly driven by technological advances and involves collaborative, crosscutting research that brings together structural, biochemical, molecular and cellular methodologies. Therefore, the overarching goal of the CMBTP is to provide trainees with broad and flexible research training providing them with the skills to keep pace with the opportunities and demands of contemporary science. The CMBTP supports training in basic science discovery, and CMB faculty are engaged in mechanistic research representing eight major research themes that transcend traditional departmental and program boundaries including: Enzymology and Protein Biophysics, RNA Processing and Translational Regulation, Chromatin Structure and Transcription Regulation, Intracellular Signal Transduction, Developmental Biology, Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Molecular Virology and Cancer Molecular Biology. The CMBTP currently supports nine predoctoral trainees for two year appointments, with competitive appointment in the second year. Support is designed to occur early in a student's career (1st-3th year) when the development of the thesis project is in its formative stages and specialization into individual Ph.D. Programs occurs. Success continues to be measured by peer-reviewed publication of original research, timely progress toward Ph.D., subsequent postdoctoral training at top institutions and ultimately development into independent research positions in academia and industry. The CMBTP has the largest number of training faculty (other than the MSTP which trains MD/Ph.D. students) and the largest pool of training grant eligible students for any program in the School of Medicine. During the current project period it has become increasingly clear that the number of outstanding applications exceeds the number of available slots. Growth in the number of trainees supported by the CMBTP will not only permit a greater number of individuals to directly benefit from its training activities, but would further broaden the impact of the training program on graduate training throughout the CWRU-SOM.
This application proposes to continue the Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program (CMBTP) that provides predoctoral trainees with the conceptual and technical foundation for developing independent careers conducting transformative research in the biomedical sciences. The training supports the overall mission of NIGMS to promote research that increases understanding of life processes and lays the foundation for advances in diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
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