Reproductive Biology: Early Pregnancy and Development

描述(由申请人提供)：该项目的目标是培养博士后实习生，通过植入在性腺功能、早期怀孕和胚胎发育领域建立独立的研究职业生涯。培训计划将包括三个要素：独立的实验室研究、与生殖科学中心联合举办的小组研讨会和其他活动，以及研究伦理和动物福利方面的正式课程工作，以及将增强学员研究专业知识的主题。独立研究将在受训人员从12名科学家中挑选的实验室进行，这些科学家是生殖和发育生物学各个方面的领导者。这个培训小组的成员已经建立了NIH资助的项目，并培训了86多名博士后研究员。研究领域包括受精、着床前发育、滋养细胞与子宫的相互作用、着床和早期妊娠的免疫生物学，以及性腺功能的调节、睾丸和胚胎发育期间的基因表达。该小组的力量通过成员之间的合作得到加强，联合出版物、补助金和学生的记录证明了这一点。该方案将利用现有的生殖科学中心，该中心由21名首席研究人员和78名额外的工作人员和受训人员组成，以提供更好的培训环境。生殖科学中心赞助了一个活跃的研讨会项目，并主办了一个生殖生物学的地区性会议，为学员提供了更多展示他们工作的机会。受训人员的招聘、遴选和指导将通过内部咨询委员会进行协调，所有参与的教职员工都将提供意见，并与一名外部顾问协商，后者将每年与该小组举行一次会议。被授予生物科学博士学位，或医学博士学位，并表现出对生殖生物学研究的承诺的申请者，将被考虑进入该项目。重点将放在招募有代表性的少数族裔加入该计划。在第一个资助期内被选中的六名学员的记录令人印象深刻，完成培训的四名学员中有两名已担任教职，一名终身教职和一名研究人员。该项目的总体成功最终将由这些学员在建立独立研究项目后做出的贡献来衡量。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this program is to prepare post-doctoral trainees to establish independent research careers in the areas of gonadal function, early pregnancy and embryonic development through implantation. The training program will consist of three elements; independent laboratory research, group seminars and other functions held jointly with the Center for Reproductive Sciences, and formal course work in research ethics and animal welfare, as well as subjects that will enhance the trainee's research expertise. The independent research will occur in a laboratory selected by the trainee from a group of 12 scientists who are leaders in various aspects of reproductive and developmental biology. The members of this training group have well established NIH-funded programs and have trained more than 86 postdoctoral fellows. Areas of study include fertilization, pre-implantation development, trophoblast-uterine interactions, the immunobiology of implantation and early pregnancy, as well as regulation of gonadal function, gene expression during testis and embryonic development. The strength of this group is enhanced by collaboration among the members as evidenced by the record of joint publications, grants, and students. This program will take advantage of an existing Center for Reproductive Sciences comprising 21 principal investigators and 78 additional staff and trainees to provide an enhanced training environment. The Center for Reproductive Sciences sponsors an active seminar program and hosts a regional conference in reproductive biology, which provides additional opportunities for trainees to present their work. The recruitment, selection and guidance of trainees will be coordinated through an Internal Advisory Committee, with input from all participating faculty and in consultation with an External Advisor, who will meet with the group once each year. Applicants who have been awarded a Ph.D. degree in one of the biological sciences, or a D.V.M. or M.D. degree and who demonstrate a commitment to research in reproductive biology will be considered for entry into the program. An emphasis will be placed on recruiting under represented minorities into the program. The records of the six trainees selected during the first funding period are impressive, with two of the four trainees who have completed their training having assumed faculty positions, one tenure track and one research track. The overall success of the program will ultimately be measured by the contributions of these trainees after they have established independent research programs.