The Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology (the Genetics Curriculum) is a well-established and highly-ranked interdepartmental PhD program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). Throughout the 50-year life of the program we have provided diverse and cutting-edge research opportunities to trainees. In addition to our ongoing expertise in key areas in genetics (e.g., genetics of model microbes, plants, and animals) and molecular biology (e.g., signal transduction, gene expression, and virology), we have added strengths in epigenetics, clinical and translational genetics, systems genetics, quantitative genetics, computational genetics, and genomics. Extensive interaction between researchers in diverse areas is promoted by the interdepartmental and inter-school nature of the Genetics Curriculum and many faculty centers, and is facilitated by the physical proximity of the different units, all of which are on the same campus. We strive to maintain a modern and innovative training program. The curriculum includes features common in similar programs, like coursework, written and oral qualifying exams, seminars, and retreats. Several years ago we introduced an innovative feature wherein selection of student and postdoctoral speakers for the annual Genetics Scientific Retreat are made by a mock study section at which training grant-appointed students score and discuss submitted abstracts. We've also innovated in coursework by transitioning to focused, modular courses that meet for a third of a semester and can be taken a la carte. This gives students greater flexibility choosing the most appropriate topics of study and allows faculty to teach withi their areas of greatest expertise. We now partner with the Department of Biology to expand teaching assistantship opportunities to include undergraduate courses at the introductory and advanced levels. The Office of Graduate Education has developed unique programs that enhance the training experience and promote career development. We compete nationally for the top students and have successfully recruited a diverse group, with about 25% belonging to one of the NIH-defined diversity groups. Our students are successful in obtain competitive external funding, and every student publishes at least one first-authored research paper in a peer-reviewed journal (the mean is almost 4 publications). The vast majority of our students remain in scientific careers after they graduate. Most initially do postdoctoral research in academia, government labs, or private research foundations. Some remain in academic/government research, but others go into private corporations, science teaching, or science policy.
Genetics and genomics are among the most important fields in basic biomedical research, contributing to essentially all medical applications. The Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology is a highly-ranked doctoral program that trains students broadly in these fields; this proposal seeks to continue NIH support for training these students for a careers and academic, government, and private research, clinical settings, teaching, and other scientific fields.
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