Training Program in Ion Channel and Transporter Biology

描述(申请人提供)：项目摘要/摘要离子通道和转运蛋白是普遍存在的分子，它们具有多种重要的生理功能，是许多类型药理制剂的靶标，并由基因编码，这些基因可能是影响神经系统和其他组织的遗传性疾病的基础。该提案描述了离子通道和转运蛋白生物学培训计划的继续，该计划将为博士后科学家提供多学科的研究培训。这一高度集中的培训项目涉及30名由美国国立卫生研究院资助的导师(总计资助和GT；直接成本为31,500,000美元/年)，隶属于范德比尔特大学的13个不同的学术部门和10个研究中心，他们在离子通道和转运体领域取得了卓越的成就，并致力于培养博士后研究员。这一跨部门培训计划利用了该研究领域近20年的机构和多学科实力。该项目始于2001年，最初只有19名教职员工，自那时以来，已经成功填补了所有资助职位。虽然培训计划最初包括博士后培训，但参与的教职员工的共识是将计划的重点放在博士后受训人员身上，以实现更连贯的培训计划，并扩大博士后职位的空缺。博士后实习生将从申请教授实验室的申请者以及范德比尔特大学主办的年度招聘活动中挑选出来。多方面的征聘战略将继续吸引来自任职人数不足群体的高素质个人。除了密集的研究经验，受训者还将有授课要求，包括一门关于拨款撰写的重点课程，一系列致力于启发翻译研究、正式指导和职业指导的创新研讨会。教师导师的高素质、培训机会的跨学科性质、强大的机构优势结合在一起，形成了一个适合培训计划目标的独特环境，该培训计划旨在培养对离子通道和转运蛋白生物学领域的学术生物医学研究具有坚定承诺的科学家。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Project Summary/Abstract Ion channels and transporter proteins are ubiquitous molecules that serve a variety of important physiological functions, provide targets for many types of pharmacological agents, and are encoded by genes that can be the basis for inherited diseases affecting the nervous system and other tissues. This proposal describes the continuation of a Training Program in Ion Channel and Transporter Biology that will provide multidisciplinary research training for postdoctoral scientists. This highly focused training program involves 30 NIH-funded preceptors (aggregate funding >$31,500,000 direct costs/year) affiliated with 13 different academic departments and 10 research centers at Vanderbilt University with strong records of accomplishments in the ion channel and transporter field, and with a deep commitment to training postdoctoral fellows. This interdepartmental training program capitalizes on a nearly 20-year history of institutional and multidisciplinary strength in this research field. The program began initially in 2001 with only 19 faculty and has successfully filled all funded positions since that time. Although the training program originally included predoctoral training, the consensus of the participating faculty members was to focus the program on postdoctoral trainees to enable a more coherent training program and to expand the number of available postdoctoral positions. Postdoctoral trainees will be selected from the pool of applicants that apply to preceptor laboratories as well as by an annual recruitment event hosted by Vanderbilt University. A multi-faceted recruitment strategy will continue to attract highly qualified individuals from underrepresented groups. In addition to intensive research experiences, trainees will have didactic course requirements that include a focused course on grant writing, an innovative seminar series devoted to inspiring translational research, formal mentoring and career guidance. The high caliber of faculty mentors, the interdisciplinary nature of training opportunities, the strong institutional strengths combine to foster a unique environment suited to the goal of the training program, which is to develop scientists with strong commitments to academic biomedical research in the area of ion channel and transporter biology.