TRAINING IN SMOOTH AND CARDIAC MUSCLE BIOLOGY

我们的培训计划的主要目标，这是在其第十五年，保持不变。我们的目标是为科学和临床社区提供高素质的研究人员，他们拥有在学术环境中脱颖而出的技能和知识，并进行心血管功能和疾病的独立研究。具体目标是为博士前和博士后（M.D.或博士）的学生在生理学，分子，生物物理学和生物化学方面的平滑肌和心肌功能。我们的培训计划强调尖端技术，最先进的设施和具有挑战性的知识环境。我们的培训补助金的一个重大变化是正式的战略教育和研究培训联盟，涉及三个基础科学和三个临床部门。这种多学科方法更好地利用了这些部门的优秀教师，研究和教育计划。我们的学员的研究重点领域是：1）平滑肌和心肌兴奋性和功能的离子机制; 2）平滑肌和心肌收缩性和代谢的调节; 3）钙信号传导和细胞内钙稳态的机制;以及4）平滑肌和心肌功能的内分泌和神经因素。博士前候选人在成功完成第一年的课程工作后进入培训计划，其中包括研究生生理学，生物化学细胞分子生物学和生物统计学。第一年的博士预科生通过至少三个实验室轮换“动手”的研究经验。博士后候选人被招募到特定的实验室，在他们感兴趣的领域进行密集培训。培训计划包括每周由机构外的著名研究人员举办的研讨会、期刊俱乐部和研究座谈会。我们的业绩记录非常好，我们对代表性不足的少数民族的招聘非常成功。我们的博士前候选人的证书继续上升;被录取的学生的GRE远高于1900。我们的博士后申请者的数量和质量也继续上升，尽管非常竞争激烈的时代。我们的许多博士后研究员已获得个人NRSA奖或其他机构的个人奖学金。我们为我们培训计划的毕业生感到非常自豪;绝大多数人继续从事研究，许多人在学术界取得了成功。培训补助金教员中增加了12名优秀教师。其中大部分来自分子遗传学系，该系是我们战略研究和教育联盟的主要合作伙伴。这种安排促进了科学的互动，并提高了我们的心血管训练计划的教育和研究经验的广度。

The primary goal of our training program, which is in its fifteenth year, remains unchanged. Our goal is to provide the scientific and clinical community with highly qualified investigators who have the skills and knowledge to excel in an academic setting and to perform independent investigators of cardiovascular function and disease. The specific objective is to provide training to pre- and postdoctoral (M.D. or Ph.D) students in the physiological, molecular, biophysical, and biochemical aspects of smooth and cardiac muscle function. Our training program emphasizes cutting-edge technology, state-of-the-art facilities, and a challenging intellectual environment. A major change in our training grant is the formal of a strategic educational and research training alliance that involves three basic science and three clinical departments. This multi-disciplinary approach takes better advantage of the outstanding faculty, research and educational programs in these departments. The areas of research emphasis for our trainees are: 1) ionic mechanisms of smooth and cardiac muscle excitability and function; 2) regulation of smooth and cardiac muscle contractility and metabolism; 3) mechanisms of calcium signaling and intracellular calcium homeostasis; and 4) endocrine and neural factors in smooth and cardiac muscle function. Predoctoral candidates enter the training program following successful completion of the first year of course work, which includes graduate physiology, biochemistry molecular biology of the cell, and biostatistics. First year predoctoral candidates rotate through at least three laboratories for "hands-on" research experience. Postdoctoral candidates are recruited into specific laboratories for intensive training in their area of interest. The training program includes weekly seminars by prominent investigators outside the institution, journal clubs and research colloquia. Our track record is excellent Our recruitment of under-represented minorities has been very successful. The credentials of our predoctoral candidates continues to rise; the GREs of accepted students are well above 1900. The number and quality of our postdoctoral applicants also continues to rise despite very competitive times. Many of our postdoctoral fellows have obtained individual NRSA awards or individual fellowships for other agencies. We are very proud of the graduates of our training program; the vast majority has continued in research and many have successful careers in academia. Twelve outstanding preceptors have been added to the training grant faculty. Most of these are from the Department of Molecular Genetics, which is a major partner in our strategic research and educational alliance. This arrangement promotes scientific interactions and enhance the breadth of educational and research experiences in our cardiovascular training program.