Cellular Approaches to Tissue Engineering and Regeneration

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of Pittsburgh seeks continued support for our multidisciplinary and innovative pre-doctoral training program in Cellular Approaches to Tissue Engineering and Regeneration (CATER). The CATER training program combines faculty and research expertise from a multitude of disciplines that combine tissue engineering with molecular and cellular approaches of therapies for human disease and regeneration. Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine are two interdisciplinary fields that are inseparably coupled, bringing together scientists from human biology, engineering, medicine and applied technologies to focus on the repair and replacement of human tissues. One of the most significant challenges in regenerative medicine is developing the next generation of experts in each of the enabling disciplines that must be trained cognizant of the crossdisciplinary challenges and approaches required to solve tissue engineering problems. To address this issue we developed the CATER pre-doctoral training program to fill the gaps that often exist in more traditional departmentally-focused research training programs. The goal of the CATER training program is to provide a solid foundation upon which to build a productive and independent career in cellular and tissue based therapy for human disease and injury. This goal is accomplished via a highly coordinated and mentored interdisciplinary training program with a combination of required and elective courses, research activities and specialized training opportunities. Our short history (first 5-years of funding support) provides evidence that we are accomplishing these training objectives. The CATER training program, combining diverse training faculty and coursework in tissue engineering and cellular and molecular biology of disease and therapy, provides a rich educational experience and more numerous training opportunities for students than obtained in more traditional or individual university departments or programs. The CATER training program provides students the training and expertise we believe is necessary to succeed in the rapidly evolving and highly interdisciplinary fields of cellular and tissue based engineering. The University of Pittsburgh pre-doctoral training program in Cellular Approaches to Tissue Engineering and Regeneration (CATER) educates and trains the next generation of scientists in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Our multidisciplinary training approach creates researchers that can drive regenerative medicine from the laboratory to the clinic, providing new therapies for human disease and injury.