The purpose of this program is to train five predoctoral and three postdoctoral fellows in specific areas of reproductive biology, within the framework of an integrated, multidisciplinary program offering a uniquely broad perspective of the reproductive sciences. Specific areas of training are: (i) Reproductive endocrinology - hormonal interactions among the hypothalamus, pituitary, and gonads; molecular and cellular actions of neurohormones, gonadotropins, and gonadal hormones, and control of their secretions, (ii) Cellular, molecular, and hormonal events controlling folliculogenesis and gametogenesis, (iii) Sex determination and reproductive development - molecular genetics of sexual differentiation, organizational effects of gonadal steroids, and mechanisms governing sexual maturation, (iv) Pregnancy - molecular endocrinology and cell biology of the placenta, and (v) Environmental and metabolic control of reproduction - neural mechanisms that integrate energy balance and reproductive processes, and mediate reproductive effects of environmental variables. A broad array of in vivo and in vitro methodologies are available for trainees, including current technologies for investigation at genetic, molecular, cellular, integrative, and behavioral levels. Our 10 preceptors are from four departments at Northwestern University; among them, they hold 12 R01 grants (eight from the NICHD), a NICHD-sponsored Program Project Grant, two NICHD supported U54 Center Grants, and a NICHD-funded Specialized Center of Research. Predoctoral trainees are selected from large, highly qualified pools of graduate students who complete at least one year of study within the programs of preceptors. Postdoctoral fellows are likewise chosen on the basis of their predoctoral work in laboratories of leading investigators in the field. Preceptors in this program have established a strong history of collaboration in their research, and this spirit of interaction continues to permeate the pre- and postdoctoral training arenas. Fellows participate in laboratory research, didactic courses, work-in-progress meetings, a class on ethical scientific conduct, research seminars, journal clubs, a yearly Symposium on Reproductive Biology, and meetings devoted to important professional issues. As a result, our trainees receive intensive training in a specific area of reproductive research, acquire a broad perspective of reproductive biology as a whole, and are exposed to a rich environment of interdisciplinary collaboration. Through administration of this program, we continue to produce highly trained, successful scientists who carry with them a continuing interest in an integrated, multi-level approach to the study of reproduction. ? ?
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