The proposed program will provide training of thirteen predoctoral students in developmental biology using all available modern approaches. This training program emphasizes six interdisciplinary areas: 1) organ system development;2) development of model organisms;3) model genetic systems (including Caenorhabitis, Drosophila, mouse, zebrafish, and Arabidopsis);4) morphogenesis, cell shape and cell movement;5) nucleic acid studies;and 6) developmental evolution. These development biology research areas bear on many aspects of molecular and cellular biology, genetics, and genomics. We believe that our integrated approach, using developmental genetic model systems in combination with multiple approaches, is particularly relevant. This is in light of the highly conserved nature of developmental regulatory systems, as well as the revolution of technologies useful for development biology research. The program is the only University-wide program in development biology, involving faculty from 3 departments in the Yale College of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and 6 departments/programs from the Yale School of Medicine. There are a total of 42 trainers in the program. Trainees are admitted to the Yale Graduate School by a Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS). This admissions and training program has resulted in a steady increase in the size of the applicant pool, the yield, and the quality of pre-doctoral matriculants. The BBS also provides matriculants maximum flexibility in fashioning a personalized course of graduate studies leading to the PhD degree. Students may be appointed to the training program during their first, but more likely their second year. At all stages of training, the trainees are mentored by an advisor and an advisory committee, although, the composition of the advisors may change during progress toward graduation, especially after they advance to PhD candidacy. Trainees who enter this program will ordinarily hold at least a B.A. or B.S. degree in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics or related sciences. They will be selected on the basis of performance in undergraduate studies, letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and interviews. Students with strong potential for research will be sought. We will rely heavily on letters of recommendation and personnel interviews where feasible. After receiving the PhD degree, most of our trainees will spend two or more years in postdoctoral research, after which they take up positions as faculty members in medical schools, universities or colleges, or as research staff in medical centers, scientific research institutes, or biotech firms. The record of graduate students going on to run academic laboratories in development biology is historically strong and continues to be so. Graduate study in basic developmental research is today exciting and intellectually rewarding. The research is also satisfying and appealing, since it contributes increasingly to the solution of the human scourges such as birth defects, chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's and oncologies, and inadequate food production. For these reasons, the subject attracts top caliber students.
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