Research Training Program in Enviromental Toxilogy

描述(由申请人提供) 这是一项与之竞争的续订环境毒理学研究培训计划的申请。该计划成立于2000年，旨在帮助招募新科学家进入这一重要学科，该计划教育生殖、发育和内分泌毒理学的博士后和博士后学员。在毒理学的这些方面培训学生和博士后研究员的需求，在今天和10年前培训计划最初构思时一样迫切。作为内分泌干扰物的环境化学品继续主导着对环境健康的担忧。该项目将伊利诺伊大学校园内两个长期公认的卓越研究领域--环境毒理学和生殖生物学--结合在一起，调查人员可以在他们的导师中数出伊利诺伊大学校园里一些最耀眼的明星。自上次提交以来，已有几位杰出的新专家加入了该计划(Flaws，Hofmann)，此次续签申请增加了两位专家(BopPart，Freund)，从而产生了来自七个系(动物科学、生物工程、化学、作物科学、食品科学与人类营养、分子与综合生理学和兽医生物科学)的15位专家。这些教职员工目前总共有40多项联邦资助的研究拨款，每年的直接成本总计超过900万美元。教授们正在用广泛的多学科视角研究内分泌活性化学物质。在分子、细胞、整个动物和人类健康层面工作的实验室之间的合作为学员提供了直接观察和参与翻译研究的独特机会。学员的选择是基于学术成就、拟议研究与计划目标的相关性以及对毒理学的承诺。优先考虑研究生第一年或第二年的博士前实习生。该计划提供了广泛的研究生水平的毒理学课程。除了系里的要求外，所有博士前学员都要选修基础毒理学、系统毒理学和至少一门与其研究领域相关的其他高级毒理学课程。博士后实习生从事毒理学方面的独立研究。所有学员都必须参加每周的毒理学研究研讨会、职业发展研讨会、毒理学期刊俱乐部和毒理学研究伦理课程。受训人员还被要求在研讨会上介绍他们的研究，并强烈鼓励他们在国家会议上介绍他们的研究。调查人员在招收和留住来自代表性不足群体的合格学生方面有着很好的记录，我们将继续并扩大这些努力。 相关性：该培训计划将培养博士后和博士后，成为内分泌、发育和生殖毒理学方面的下一代研究科学家，这些毒理学是与人类健康直接相关的毒理学分支学科。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant) This is a competing continuation application to renew the Research Training Program in Environmental Toxicology. Established in 2000 to help recruit new scientists into this important discipline, the Program educates pre- and postdoctoral trainees in reproductive, developmental and endocrine toxicology. The need to train students and postdoctoral fellows in these aspects of toxicology is every bit as urgent today as it was 10 years ago when the training program was first conceived. Environmental chemicals that act as endocrine disrupters continue to dominate environmental health concerns. The program unites two long recognized areas of research excellence on the University of Illinois campus, environmental toxicology and reproductive biology, and the investigators can count among their preceptors some of the brightest stars on the University of Illinois campus. Several outstanding new preceptors have joined the Program since the last submission (Flaws, Hofmann) and two additional preceptors are added in this renewal application (Boppart, Freund) resulting in a total of 15 preceptors from seven departments (Animal Sciences, Bioengineering, Chemistry, Crop Sciences, Food Science and Human Nutrition, Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Veterinary Biosciences). Together these faculty currently have over 40 federally funded research grants totaling more than $9 million dollars per year direct costs. The preceptors are researching endocrine active chemicals using a broad multidisciplinary perspective. Collaborations among laboratories working at the molecular, cellular, whole animal and human health levels provide trainees with the unique opportunity to directly observe and participate in translational research. Selection of trainees is based on academic success, relevance of proposed research to Program goals and commitment to toxicology. Preference is given to pre-doctoral trainees in their first or second year of graduate study. The Program offers a broad range of graduate level courses in toxicology. In addition to their departmental requirements, all pre-doctoral trainees take basic toxicology, systems toxicology and at least one other advanced toxicology course related to their field of study. Postdoctoral trainees conduct independent research in toxicology. All trainees are required to attend weekly toxicology research seminars, career development workshops, a toxicology journal club and a course on research ethics in toxicology. Trainees are also required to present their research in the seminar and strongly encouraged to present their research at national meetings. The investigators have a strong record of recruiting and retaining qualified students from underrepresented groups and we will continue and expand these efforts. Relevance: This Training Program will train pre- and postdoctoral students to become the next generation of research scientists in endocrine, developmental and reproductive toxicology, subdisciplines of toxicology that are directly relevant to human health.