Program in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application requests funds to support the training of predoctoral students in the Program in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (PMCB) at Oregon Health & Science University. This interdisciplinary program brings together 175 faculty members from five basic science departments (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology, Molecular and Medical Genetics, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, and Physiology and Pharmacology) and affiliated research institutes to provide first- and second-year graduate students with the theoretical and laboratory foundation they require to become successful research scientists. This proposal will support six Ph.D. students out of the 119 currently enrolled in the PMCB for their first two years of training. The 80-member training faculty members in this application are internationally recognized for their expertise in biophysical, molecular, cellular, and developmental approaches to important and compelling biological questions using state-of-the art methodologies. Notably, graduate students also directly participate in ground-breaking translational research, ranging from the development of the first small molecule inhibitor of cancer (Gleevec) to the first liver stem cell therapy, the molecular basis of obesity, and the development of new vaccines for emerging pathogens. Our program offers qualified students a common, rigorous didactic grounding for the first year, and continued grounding as students begin to specialize during their second year. Students also participate in seminar series, program retreats, teaching, and may attend scientific meetings. Students must successfully pass a comprehensive written exam at the end of their first year and a qualifying exam at the end of their second year, in which they prepare and defend an original research proposal. Subsequently, students are formally admitted to one of the five participating departments to conduct a research project leading to the awarding of a Doctorate of Philosophy. Importantly, the dynamic research community at OHSU, combined with the proximity of basic and clinical research facilities, provide a unique opportunity for Ph.D. students to form cross-discipline collaborations during their training and to gain an appreciation of the health-relatedness of the basic science research that they undertake.