Interdisciplinary Training Program in Muscle Biology

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This program provides interdisciplinary training in muscle biology for predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows. The program emphasizes the functional, structural and molecular properties of skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscle, and how these properties are compromised in various disease states. Our 18 faculty members come from 2 basic science departments (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Physiology) and 5 clinical departments (Medicine, Orthopedics, Pathology, Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation, and Surgery) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Affiliate faculty also come from the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics & Statistics at our sister campus, University of Maryland Baltimore County, and from Morgan State University. Trainees are drawn from all of the participating departments and from our interdepartmental PhD Programs. Indicative of the diversity of our faculty backgrounds, the training offered is multifaceted ranging from the molecular determinants of muscle development through the cell biological aspects of muscle cytoskeleton, membranes and matrix, to the biophysical analysis of individual muscle cell function and the biomechanical evaluation of whole muscles to the effects of muscle disease at all these levels of investigation. Our faculty is nationally and internationally recognized in the areas of Ca2+ control of muscle function and membrane systems, muscle cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix, muscle development, growth and plasticity, as well as muscle disease, injury and aging. Our students will receive training in these and in a variety of related areas, with emphasis on the use of complementary state-of-the-art technologies to address each question under examination. The major didactic aspect of our training is two one-semester interdisciplinary courses on muscle biology, which are team-taught by the program faculty and have been well received by past trainees, and a seminar series focusing on muscle related techniques, technologies and model systems. Program activities comprise an annual on campus Mini-Retreat which includes trainee poster and oral presentations and a renowned muscle researcher as Program visitor and Keynote Speaker, a semi-annual Wade Memorial lectureship and lunch meetings for all trainees, as well as training in professional career development, grant and manuscript writing, the principles of rigor and reproducibility, and the responsible conduct of research. We will continue at our present level of 5 predoctoral and 5 postdoctoral trainees throughout the renewal period. Entering predoctoral trainees will be required to have a strong background in biological sciences and praising recommendation letters. Incoming postdoctoral trainees will have completed a solid PhD thesis, and also have strong recommendation letters. Trainees from this program will be prepared to bring a wide range of approaches to bear on answering fundamental questions in muscle biology and on the causes of muscle diseases as well as their possible treatment and ultimately cure. This program therefore serves a national need for preparing highly competent investigators with multi-disciplinary training in the area of muscle biology and disease.