Pre-doctoral Training in Fundamental Approaches to Biochemistry and Cell and Molecular Biology

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This proposal is for support of the pre-doctoral program in Cellular, Biochemical and Molecular Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Our mission is to train the next generation of biological/biomedical scientists, many of whom will be innovators and leaders in research, education, and other fields. This proposal builds on an outstanding training record developed over a 46-year partnership with NIGMS. Our aims are to: educate students to understand the fundamental and underlying principles of molecular, biochemical, and cellular biology, train students to be critical and creative thinkers, prepare students to be ethical decision makers, teach and provide practice in written and oral communication, provide experience with teaching and mentoring younger students, mentor students to become effective and rigorous researchers, guide students through completion and publication of research projects, advise students as they determine the best-fit careers for their interests and skills, provide an inclusive learning and research environment, and broaden participation of individuals with diverse backgrounds in biomedical research careers. We recruit and train talented students from majority, underrepresented minority, disabled, and disadvantaged populations. Trainees admitted to our program have outstanding academic records and strong motivation and aptitude to pursue research. A key feature of our program is an intensive, focused curriculum required of all first-year students. Students work together in lecture and discussion-style courses taught by dedicated faculty to master a fundamental set of approaches that underpin molecular biological science. The training program exposes students to the research interests of all faculty members in the Biology Department prior to a sequence of rotations that, in combination with first-semester courses, support an informed choice of a thesis advisor and topic. Students gain experience in scientific communication and in teaching and mentoring junior students. Responsible conduct of research is taught in both classroom and laboratory settings, including an intense mini-course for 2nd year students. Students have many opportunities to learn about career paths open to them following doctoral training. Students’ progress through the program is monitored in regular thesis committee meetings with faculty members, with oversight by the graduate committee. We seek to build and maintain a welcoming and supportive community in which all students are valued and included. This training grant would constitute a critical source of support for ~50% of training-grant eligible graduate students in our program during their first two years. Our students perform research of outstanding quality, and most trainees go on to careers in biomedical research. Many of our former trainees are now leaders in their chosen fields and bring to their positions the knowledge, rigor, thoughtful perspectives, and values of equity and inclusion that we emphasize at MIT Biology. We anticipate exciting futures for our alumni as they help transform the US biomedical landscape.