The past five years has seen extraordinary successes in immunotherapy for the treatment of cancer, autoimmunity and inflammatory disorders of the skin and gut that underscore the importance of understanding how the immune system works in health and disease. The goal of this competitive renewal application of a 30 year T32 Predoctoral Training Program in Immunology (PTPI) is to train the next generation of leading researchers, critical thinkers and communicators in immunology.
We aim to provide enhanced training opportunities that will prepare trainees with the skills required to make fundamental and sustained contributions to our understanding and application of immunology to human health. Highlights: (1) A trans-disciplinary group of successful basic and clinical researchers in immunology; (2) Training approaches based on autonomy- supportive educational methods that encourage self-directed learning; (3) An emphasis on collaborative research, commitment to the exchange of diverse ideas and perspectives to foster collaboration and seed novel discoveries; (4) A culture of critical thinking that underscores the importance of scientific rigor and reproducibility at all levels of graduate education, scientific development and professional conduct; (5) An individual and Institutional commitment to providing expertise and technology at the cutting-edge of immunological concepts and experimentation; (6) An innovative Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training Program (URBEST) that enables trainees to explore and develop critical skills for effective roles in diverse scientific research careers by providing training in leadership and professionalism and (7) A strong emphasis on scientific communication to peers and the broader public. Our trainees will graduate with broad immunological knowledge and the necessary rigor and critical thinking skills to drive new discoveries combined with the ?soft skills? essential to apply and effectively communicate this knowledge in a variety of research careers in academic institutions, government agencies and industry. New initiatives: (1) 14 additional faculty mentors, providing new research expertise in basic and translational immunology research; in particular, in the fields of cancer immunology, neuroimmunology and innate immunity; (2) Student-initiated leadership and professional development opportunities incorporated at multiple levels; (3) Enhanced networking opportunities for trainees including ?breakfast brainstorming? sessions with invited speakers and a student-led Regional Immunology Trainees Day to exchange ideas with other T32s in the region; (4) Science communication training through unique programs established at the UR and opportunities to build content and connect with the general public through the local Public Broadcasting affiliate, WXXI and (5) External program evaluation by Dr Erin Dolan, U. Georgia Professor and experienced evaluator, tailored to documenting the effectiveness of the program, especially the new and unique elements.
The goal of this competitive renewal application of a 30 year T32 Predoctoral Training Program in Immunology is to train the next generation of leading researchers, critical thinkers and communicators in immunology. Our focus on pre-doctoral training in immunology within a trans-disciplinary and highly collaborative research environment will position our trainees to make important basic research contributions to seed the next generation of immune-therapeutics to improve human health.
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