Genetics & Genomics Training Program

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This application is a request for support for the Predoctoral Training Program in Genetics & Genomics at Baylor College of Medicine. This Program started in 1987 and has been funded by an NIGMS T32 since 1990. The Graduate School and the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics follow three tenets of innovative biomedicine at Baylor College of Medicine: Research, Education, and Service. The mission of this interdepartmental Program is to train PhD students in the fundamentals of classical and modern genetics and in application of their knowledge and skills to innovations in biomedicine. Diversity and inclusion are integral components of this mission. Our objectives are to provide students with rigorous and methodical training in genetics and genomics while emphasizing research and academic excellence, and to help them become leaders among the next generation of biomedical scientists. We are currently training 97 predoctoral students, an increase of 16% in the past 5 years, and we plan to train 100 new students in the next 5 years. We currently have 84 faculty mentors, an increase of 20% in the past 5 years. Their research projects span a wide range of interests, including human genetics, genomics, the molecular basis of human disease, animal models of human disease, microbial genetics, development, neurobiology, and genome stability. The common themes among these topics are genetics and genomics, and their translation to human health. The training elements in the first year include foundational and advanced courses, laboratory rotations, and skill development activities. The courses are focused on design and analysis of genetic-based experiments and the rotations provide individualized practical research experiences. Skill development includes training in the responsible conduct of research, ethical aspects of human genetics in the genomic era, rigor and reproducibility in experimental science, scientific communications, critical thinking, and teamwork. In the second year, the students join research laboratories in which they conduct projects under the mentorship of our faculty, as they begin their path to independence. They also take a qualifying examination that trains them to integrate knowledge from courses and from the literature and to design an original experimental research project. In addition to training in experimental work, the students learn how to analyze their data, how to present their findings orally and in writing, and how to participate in the scientific process in a collegial and constructive way. The students are also encouraged to participate in career development activities throughout their training. The thesis project culminates in the preparation and defense of a thesis dissertation. The average time to a PhD degree is 5.7 years and the average number of publications is 6.1, including 2.1 first-author papers. Our retention rate is 96%, and most of our alumni use their training in their subsequent positions. We are requesting 16 slots, 8 per year for the first 2 years of training, to match our increased training capacity and the proven success of the only T32-supported Genetics & Genomics PhD Program in Texas and within a 600 mile radius of Houston.