This renewal application for pre- and post-doctoral training in cardiovascular bioengineering is multidisciplinary, synergizing expertise in biology, medicine and engineering. There have been major advances since the last competitive renewal, including the completion of a new bioengineering building with special facilities for this training, recruitment of new faculty, introduction of new courses, enhancement of interactions with School of Medicine, other units in UCSD and neighboring institutions, other UC campuses, as well as industry. This multidisciplinary training uses an integrative approach that encompasses genes, molecules, cells, tissues, organs, and systems. The trainees will learn to integrate the rapidly advancing knowledge of new biology with quantitative, analytical approaches of engineering sciences. The areas of training include molecular biomechanics, cell-matrix engineering, and genotype-phenotype relationship in the cardiovascular system in health and disease. The predoctoral trainees will receive graduate training leading to a Ph.D. degree. The postdoctoral training aims at developing, enhancing and broadening the research experience of trainees holding a doctorate degree. The short-term professional training will provide health sciences students with 8-12 weeks of training in cardiovascular engineering science. Special efforts will be made to recruit trainees from underrepresented groups. In addition to formally structured courses given in Bioengineering, and the other Departments, there are seminars, group meetings, and informal sessions to allow the trainees to interact closely with the faculty and to present their research plans and findings. There are also seminars and workshops in neighboring institutions which all have participating faculty in this training grant. Following an initial period of orientation in laboratory research, the trainees will choose their projects from many possibilities. The program is designed to have interactions between biomedical researchand engineering modeling and analysis. There will also be interactions with industry. The trainees will receive education on responsible conduct of research and ethics. They will gain insights and proficiencies in areas bridging biology, medicine and engineering, so that they will be able to perform research on biomedical problems with an integrative approach, using the principles and methods of modern biology and engineering. Their research projects have potential applications to cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes, coronary heart disease, heart failure, shock, peripheral vascular disease, and hematological disorders.
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