This application requests support for an interdisciplinary Developmental Biology Training Grant Program for predoctoral students at the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The hallmarks of the program are the breadth and strength of training and research opportunities provided by the faculty, the strong credentials and accomplishments of graduate applicants, and the cutting-edge technologies and support facilities provided by the sponsoring institutions. The program consists of formal graduate course work in developmental biology and supporting areas;training in teaching, scientific integrity, presentation skills and analysis of data;and dissertation research in a field of developmental biology. The training program contributes to and benefits from a large and interactive community of developmental biologists in Seattle. Extensive interactions among trainees and faculty mentors occur at meetings which include an annual retreat in which all trainees present their work, an interdepartmental Development Biology Seminar Series, Fall and Winter Seattle-Wide Developmental Biology Meetings, and the Northwest Developmental Biology Conference. There are 46 faculty mentors from nine different departments in the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine at the University of Washington as well as two different research divisions at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The faculty group recruits and trains graduate students in developmental biology. Specific areas of research include cell fate determination, cell migration and signaling, cell cycle control, tissue morphogenesis, gene regulation, and hormone action. Trainees are provided opportunities to learn genetic, cellular, molecular, and comparative approaches in their studies of the developmental biology of single-celled microorganisms, animals, and plants. This application requests support for eleven predoctoral trainees to meet the demands of a dynamic community of students desiring graduate training in developmental biology. Past history of this training program has demonstrated that the majority of its graduates pursue independent research and teaching careers in the biomedical sciences, including areas important for understanding the mechanisms of human development and disease.
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