Training Program in Molecular Medicine

简介(由申请者提供)：2006年，耶鲁大学启动了创新医学研究学者计划(MRSP)，其使命是在分子生物学、细胞生物学、生物化学、遗传学、生理学、药理学和病理学等核心基础科学概念方面提供广泛而深入的博士培训，并结合专门为博士生设计的以医学为导向的课程和指导临床经验。这项培训的最终目标是使我们的学生成为未来生物医学科学跨学科的领导者，具有独特的能力，从事与临床相关的基础科学研究，旨在阐明疾病的分子机制。MRSP得到了机构资金和霍华德·休斯医学研究所(HHMI)提供的资金的支持。高资质学生对入学的大量未得到满足的需求(有理由扩大MRSP的规模)，2013-2014学年后HHMI支持的终止，以及继续这一非常成功的正在进行的计划的愿望，构成了我们申请分子医学(MM)培训补助金的理由。MRSP学生参加各种项目活动，旨在让博士生在整个研究生学习过程中接受与医学相关的培训和体验。这些课程首先集中于正常的人体生理学、基于器官的细胞生物学和生物统计学，然后是人类病理生物学和药物发现、验证和临床试验的介绍。MRSP学生还可以选择与耶鲁大学MD一年级的学生一起参加每周一次的小组生理学“案例会议”教程，在这些教程中，他们深入探讨特定疾病状态的生理基础。MRSP的基石是为期两年的有指导的临床体验，为学生提供深入接触人类疾病背后的科学和与患者进行第一手纵向接触的机会，以一种传统课堂学习无法实现的方式将疾病的机制基础联系起来。此外，MRSP学生还参加了与耶鲁临床调查中心(YCCI)联合举办的一项特别的正在进行的研究系列活动--YCCI是美国国立卫生研究院资助的中心，构成了耶鲁以疾病为重点的转化性和机械性研究的核心--随着项目的发展，我们计划加入年度务虚会(也与YCCI一起)。除了这些正式活动外，MRSP还为所有MRSP受训人员提供持续的指导，帮助他们选择论文研究实验室和召集论文委员会，以支持NIGMS分子医学计划的目标，即提供基础生物医学科学方面的培训，重点是阐明人类疾病的机制。因此，我们申请这笔MM培训补助金，以支持每个学年总共五名MRSP博士生，其中五名二年级和五名三年级学生在任何给定的时间得到支持(所有一年级学生都得到机构资金的全额支持)，预计MRSP学生将在六年内完成博士学位。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In 2006 Yale started the innovative Medical Research Scholars Program (MRSP) with the mission of providing broad and deep Ph.D. training in the core basic science concepts of molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, genetics, physiology, pharmacology, and pathology, integrated with intensive exposure to medically oriented coursework and mentored clinical experiences designed specifically for Ph.D. students. The ultimate goal of this training is to prepare our students to be future interdisciplinary leader in the biomedical sciences, with a unique ability to pursue clinically relevant fundamental basic science inquiry aimed at elucidating the molecular mechanisms of disease. The MRSP has been supported by a combination of institutional funds and funds provided by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). The combination of substantial unmet demand from highly qualified students for admission (warranting expansion of the size of MRSP), the termination of HHMI support after the 2013-2014 academic year, and the desire to continue this highly successful ongoing program constitute the rationale for our Molecular Medicine (MM) Training Grant application. MRSP students participate in a variety of program activities designed to engage Ph.D. students in medically relevant training and experiences throughout their graduate studies. The classes focus first on normal human physiology, organ-based cell biology, and biostatistics, followed by human pathobiology and an introduction to drug discovery, validation, and clinical trials. MRSP students also have the option to participate with first-year Yale MD students in weekly small-group physiology "case conference" tutorials, in which they explore in depth the physiological underpinnings of particular disease states. The cornerstone of the MRSP is a two-year mentored clinical experience that provides students with in-depth exposure to the science behind human diseases and first-hand longitudinal encounters with patients to contextualize the mechanistic basis of disease in a way that is not possible through traditional classroom learning. In addition, MRSP students participate in a special research-in-progress series held jointly with the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI)-an NIH-funded center that forms the nucleus for translational and mechanistic disease-focused research at Yale-and as the program grows we plan to incorporate an Annual Retreat (also in conjunction with the YCCI). In addition to these formal activities, the MRSP also provides ongoing mentoring to all MRSP trainees regarding selection of a thesis research laboratory and assembly of the dissertation committee to support the goal of the NIGMS Molecular Medicine program to provide training in the basic biomedical sciences with a focus on elucidating the mechanisms of human disease. Accordingly, we request funds for this MM Training Grant to support a total of five MRSP Ph.D. students per class year, with five second-year and five third-year students being supported at any given time (all first-year students are fully supported by institutional funds), with the expectation that MRSP students will complete the Ph.D. within six years.