Training Grant in Cardiac and Vascular Cell Biology

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This Training Program provides a high-quality interdisciplinary training experience for pre- and postdoctoral trainees in cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology. Training includes molecular, cell and systems biology, with an emphasis on translational science. Our goal is to provide trainees with comprehensive, multi-faceted training in cardiac and vascular cell biology, imbued with a strong appreciation of the disease relevance of their research. Our 32 faculty mentors are from 13 basic and clinical departments and divisions in the School of Medicine (SOM), School of Nursing (SON) and Medical Biotechnology Center (MBC) of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute (UMBI). All senior faculty mentors are NIH-funded; our talented new junior faculty, are, themselves, closely mentored provide the next wave of mentors for the Training Program The Program brings together selected, motivated students and postdoctoral fellows. Training opportunities are broad and include: molecular determinants of cardiovascular function, structure and function studies of cardiac and vascular signaling pathways, including protein trafficking. In this renewal there is increased focus, on genetics of cardiovascular diseases, analysis of the function of individual cardiac and vascular cells, as well as the biomechanical properties of whole tissues and intact organs. With reorganization of graduate studies at the School of Medicine (SOM) under the umbrella Graduate Program in Life Sciences (GPILS), quality and number of TGE predoctoral applicants continues to increase. Institutional support for graduate education is outstanding, with an annual investment over $2M. GPILS also takes the lead in mentoring postdoctoral fellows (e.g. career seminars, grant writing workshops). The coursework for pre-doctoral trainees consists of an 8 credit Core Curriculum, interdisciplinary courses in muscle biology, molecular biology and functional genomics. Topics in Molecular Medicine, a newly plaimed course on cardiac pathophysiology, and a hands on course on cardiovascular fiinction. The Program provides the framework for a cross-discipline, interactive community of pre- and postdoctoral trainees. Postdoctoral fellows take two cardiovascular intensive courses for credit and join with predoctoral trainees in regular meetings to present work-in-progress, provide feedback on the program, attend and present at weekly lunch time research forums, a weekly journal clubs and Annual Research Retreat. A new Program Director, and new Steering Committee, and an External Advisory Committee (EAC) closely track progress of the trainees and the success of the overall Program. Trainees completing this program will be prepared to bring to bear a range of experimental approaches on basic questions in normal cardiac and vascular cell biology, on the underlying mechanisms responsible for cardiac and vascular pathologies, and on their possible cure and prevention. RELEVANCE (See instructions):