The aim of this predoctoral training program in Chemistry and Chemical Biology is to foster research that will exploit and develop chemical strategies to understand and control fundamental biological processes. The program provides a rich venue for chemical research as it interfaces with biology by bringing together 43 investigators and resources from seven departments at UCSF and UCB. The research has direct relevance to national priorities in human health and addresses central problems in chemical biology including, molecular recognition, protein folding, signal transduction, protein trafficking, computer aided design, combinatorial synthesis, genomics, proteomics and quantitative approaches to cellular signaling. These studies use systems, ranging from bacteria to humans and encompass technologies including chemical synthesis, crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and computational modeling. Currently approximately 8 students are chosen from about 65 applicants after a rigorous application process that culminates in personal interviews. At final size we expect 12 outstanding students per year. Underrepresented minority candidates are actively sought in an extensive series of programs including the Science Education Partnership and the UCSF-based undergraduate Summer Research Training Program.
The aim of the program is accomplished through 1) a combination of carefully designed didactic courses 2) a lab rotation system that provides three meaningful research experiences and distinctly different labs, 3) oral presentations and defense of scientific information and hypotheses via tutorial training with faculty in a journal club setting, 4) an intensive oral and written qualifying exam experience 5) the student's individual thesis research and finally, 6) a dissertation seminar. A lively course on Ethical Conduct of Science is mandatory. Two seminar series, CCB/Biophysics and CCB Chats, supplement the training with relevant talks by leaders in the field and provide ample opportunity for interaction with the speakers. Trainees also have a seminar series for presenting their research to CCB students and faculty. A high faculty to student ratio and awareness that training graduate students is important to the faculty strengthens the program. This multidisciplinary research training is carried out within an intellectually integrated and well-equipped collection of member labs, and within a uniquely interactive and communicative research environment.
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