Predoctoral Training Program in Genetics

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PROGRAM SUMMARY The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics at the University of Iowa has a 45-year history of training PhD students in Genetics, with 174 graduates in that time. The program currently serves 74 faculty and 42 students in four colleges and 17 academic departments across our campus. Students receive training in rigor and reproducibility and research conduct throughout the span of their educational training. Students align with either the standard curriculum in foundational genetics or elect to pursue the Computational Genetics (CG) subtrack, which trains students in the biological aspects of Genetics and sophisticated computational approaches for the analysis of large sets of genomic and genetic data. Research opportunities in both tracks span the spectrum of Genetics, from bacterial to model organism to human genetics, from developmental genetics to evolution, and from epigenetics and genomics to cell biology and disease mechanisms. Students complete the program equipped have a broad range of careers in contemporary science. Our mission is to develop a diverse pool of well-trained Geneticists and Bioinformaticists with the technical, operational, and professional skills necessary to conduct rigorous and reproducible research safely and responsibly, and transition into careers in the biomedical research workforce. We recognize the power of diverse perspectives of faculty and students across the breadth of the discipline of genetics, recruited from diverse regional, educational and ethnic backgrounds. Specifically, we propose to 1) develop and sharpen the skills of our trainees in scientific logic and communication, 2) provide broad technical and operational training across the multiple facets of the genetics discipline, interfacing with many areas of biology, medicine and data science, 3) enhance diversity in the program and in the field through recruitment, retention and training for excellence, and 4) establish a culture of mentorship through mentor training education and activity. The training program will accomplish these goals through a solid core curriculum with additional flexibility to enhance training in specific areas. Trainees will receive integrated training in writing skills, data analysis, rigorous experimental design and critical thinking. They will also develop individual career plans guided by mentors and informed by opportunities to interact with alumni and other experts from a variety of career paths. Through teaching assistantships and opportunities to present their work at the program retreat, regional and national conferences, they will enhance their communication skills, supplemented by formal instruction in these areas. The program will emphasize mentor training for trainers, with mentor training opportunities for trainees. Support is requested for 7 trainees per year, each trainee for 1 or 2 years in years 2 or 3 of their training.