Training Program in Quantitative Ocular Genomics

在过去的50年里，人类遗传学已经成为生物学和医学的主导力量。 这一关键立场不仅源于它在解释最基本的生物学过程中的核心重要性， 这不仅来自于其不断增长的关键技术和方法， 分子、细胞、有机体和种群生物学。然而，这些应用 针对不同疾病和表型的技术和方法有很大的不同。尽管 由于视力在医学、社会和文化上的重要性，眼睛表型的遗传学研究已经滞后 落后于其他疾病实体。部分原因是缺乏跨学科培训机会。 本培训计划在定量眼部基因组学的主要目标是通过培训填补这一空白 新一代的眼科研究人员，他们在基因组分析方面具有特殊的专业知识。 拟议的定量眼部基因组学培训计划要求两个博士前和四个 博士后培训名额。它建立在资源，教师，设施和 眼科学（通过范德比尔特眼科研究所）和人类遗传学（通过 人类遗传学研究中心（Center for Human Genetics Research）对于博士前培训，它还建立在 范德比尔特现有的博士前跨学科研究生课程（IGP）及其优秀和庞大的 学生申请人的游泳池。我们的目标是培养未来的研究人员来描述遗传变异的特征 并了解其对人类眼部表型的表型影响。范德比尔特有特别的 在统计遗传学、计算基因组学、遗传流行病学、生物信息学和 临床和基础眼科研究。所有的博士预科生将接受严格的教学 计划和密集的研究培训。博士后学员将融入我们广泛的 丰富的研究环境。我们通过定期研讨会加强了这一培训计划， 期刊俱乐部，一个非正式的工作进展研讨会，和一个年度务虚会。为确保均衡 和完整的培训经验，每位学员将由一位具有广泛 基因组学方面的经验，另一个是眼部功能方面的经验。

Human genetics has emerged over the past 50 years as a dominant force in biology and medicine. This critical position stems not only from its central importance in explaining the most basic biological processes, but also from its growing repertoire of critical technologies and methods that can elucidate molecular, cellular, organismal, and population biology. However, the application of these technologies and methods to different diseases and phenotypes has varied greatly. Despite the medical, social, and cultural importance of eyesight, genetic studies of ocular phenotypes have lagged behind other disease entities. This is due in part to the lack of cross-disciplinary training opportunities. The primary goal of this Training Program in Quantitative Ocular Genomics is to fill this gap by training a new generation of ocular researchers who have specific expertise in genomic analysis. The proposed Training Program in Quantitative Ocular Genomics requests two pre-doctoral and four post-doctoral training slots. It builds upon the substantial increase in resources, faculty, facilities, and expertise in both ophthalmology (through the Vanderbilt Eye Institute) and human genetics (through the Center for Human Genetics Research) at Vanderbilt. For pre-doctoral training it also builds upon Vanderbilt's existing pre-doctoral Interdisciplinary Graduate Program (IGP) and its excellent and large pool of student applicants. Our goal is to train future investigators to characterize genetic variation and understand its phenotypic implications on ocular phenotypes in humans. Vanderbilt has particular strengths in statistical genetics, computational genomics, genetic epidemiology, bioinformatics, and clinical and basic ophthalmological research. All pre-doctoral trainees will undergo a rigorous didactic program and intensive research training. Post-doctoral trainees will be integrated into our extensive and rich research environment. We have enhanced this training program with regular seminars, journal clubs, an informal works-in-progress seminar, and an annual retreat. To ensure a balanced and complete training experience, each trainee will be co-mentored by a preceptor with extensive experience in genomics and another in ocular function.