Training Program in Developmental Biology

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议的发育生物学培训计划的核心任务是培养高素质的独立研究科学家，训练他们采用广泛的跨学科方法来研究发育生物学问题。研究人员以发育生物学委员会（CDB）为中心建立了一个长期（30年）的积极培训计划，该计划受益于重要的机构和项目支持，完善的课程课程，以及31名充满活力，资金充足的教师培训师。该项目在招聘高素质的学员方面有着良好的记录，这些学员将在学术界和工业界从事成功的研究工作。NIH的支持将使他们能够正式培训目前来自CDB内外的非正式学员群体。进入分子遗传学与细胞生物学、遗传学、神经生物学和有机体生物学与解剖学等其他学位授予单位的学员，大大增强了研究和培训的跨学科性质。提出了一个计划，以确保所有受训者接受适当的发育生物学教育，同样重要的是，促进受训者之间的互动，以提高他们的学习经验。这一使命完全符合生物科学部的理念，即避免人为界限，鼓励广泛的互动和合作。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The core mission of the proposed Developmental Biology Training Program is to produce highly qualified independent research scientists trained to take a broad interdisciplinary approach to developmental biology problems. The investigators have built a longstanding (30 year) active training program centered in the Committee on Developmental Biology (CDB), which benefits from significant Institutional and programmatic support, a well-established course curriculum, and a group of 31 vibrant, well-funded faculty trainers. This program has a proven track record in recruiting highly qualified trainees who go on to successful research careers in academia and industry. NIH support will allow them to formalize training of what is currently an informal grouping of trainees from within and beyond CDB. Trainees who matriculate to other degree-granting units such as Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, Genetics, Neurobiology, and Organismal Biology & Anatomy, significantly enhance the interdisciplinary nature of research and training endeavor. A program is proposed that will ensure all trainees receive appropriate education in developmental biology, and of equal importance, facilitate interactions among trainees to enhance their learning experience. This mission is entirely consistent with the philosophy of the Division of Biological Sciences to avoid artificial boundaries and to encourage broad based interaction and collaboration. The DBTP trainers are a combination of experienced mentors and talented junior faculty. There are longstanding strengths in developmental genetics and the cellular basis of development processes. In addition, over the last decade the University of Chicago has built focus areas in developmental neurobiology and evolutionary developmental biology - the biannual student run symposium on the Developmental Basis of Evolutionary Change is one of the premiere national "Evo-Devo" meetings. The organizers request support for a total of six predoctoral trainees. They will support a combination of incoming students with clear interests in developmental biology, and students from related disciplines whose interests focus on developmental questions in the first year of study. A carefully designed curriculum has been developed including six formal courses in developmental biology, additional courses in molecular biology, genetics, cell biology, neurobiology, and evolutionary biology, and a wide range of supplemental activities including an annual retreat, journal club, and several seminar series. To enhance these training activities further the organizers propose to develop an annual one-day developmental biology symposium. Thus the program should produce researchers trained in a variety of areas directly relevant to human health and disease. Developmental biology studies at the University of Chicago include the generation of animal disease models, studies of cancer and stem cell biology, as well as research into the underlying basis of birth defects that affect humans. The interactive environment within the Division of Biological Sciences allows collaborations that facilitate the movement of discoveries from the laboratory bench to the clinic.