Training Program in Ion Channel and Transporter Biology

描述（由申请人提供）：离子通道和转运蛋白是普遍存在的分子，具有多种重要的生理功能，为许多类型的药理学药物提供靶点，并且由基因编码，可能是影响神经系统和其他组织的遗传性疾病的基础。本提案描述了离子通道和转运体生物学培训计划的延续，该计划为博士前和博士后科学家提供多学科研究培训。这个高度集中的培训项目涉及27名美国国立卫生研究院资助的导师（总资金约19,336,000美元/年的直接成本），他们来自范德比尔特大学10个不同的学术部门或研究中心。所有导师（22名终身教授或副教授）在离子通道和转运体领域都有很强的成就记录，并致力于培养学生和博士后研究员。除了培训教师的核心小组外，我们还确定了7名初级研究员，他们有望在下一个资助期内发展为导师，或者可以与更资深的教师合作，共同培训学生。该项目最初于2001年启动，当时有19名教师，从那时起，10名博士预科生和9名博士后学员成功填补了所有资助职位。Dr. Alfred L. George, Jr， M.D.将继续担任项目总监，并有资格为该项目提供领导。George博士在电压门控离子通道的结构、功能和分子遗传学方面有超过16年的研究经验。他是美国心脏协会建立的研究者奖的前获得者，生物医学科学的前Lucille P. Markey学者，以及2002年国家神经疾病和中风研究所Javits神经科学奖的获得者。他将得到一个由资深教师组成的监督和选拔委员会的协助，该委员会在这一领域对学生进行了深入的培训。博士预科生将从申请我校跨学科研究生项目的全国申请者中招募。博士后受训者将从申请导师实验室的申请人以及范德比尔特大学医学中心各种临床培训项目的医师科学家申请人中选出。多方面的招聘策略将继续从代表性不足的少数群体中吸引高素质的人才。除了丰富的研究经验外，博士前和博士后学员都将有严格的教学课程要求，以及正式的指导和职业指导。培训计划的目标是培养对离子通道和转运体生物学领域的学术生物医学研究有强烈承诺的科学家。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): 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 provides multidisciplinary research training for pre-doctoral and post-doctoral scientists. This highly focused training program involves 27 NIH-funded preceptors (aggregate funding ~ $19,336,000 direct costs/year) in 10 different academic departments or research centers at Vanderbilt University. All preceptors (22 tenured full or associate professors) have strong records of accomplishments in the ion channel and transporter field, and with a deep commitment to training students and post-doctoral fellows. In addition to the core group of training faculty, we have identified 7 junior investigators who are expected to develop into preceptors during the next funding period or who can partner with more senior faculty for joint training of students. The program began initially in 2001 with 19 faculty and successfully filled all funded positions with 10 pre-doctoral and 9 post-doctoral trainees since that time. Dr. Alfred L. George, Jr, M.D. will continue to serve as Program Director and is well qualified to provide leadership to this program. Dr. George has more than 16 years experience studying the structure, function and molecular genetics of voltage-gated ion channels. He is a former recipient of the Established Investigator Award of the American Heart Association, a former Lucille P. Markey Scholar in Biomedical Sciences, and 2002 recipient of the Javits Neuroscience Award from the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke. He will be assisted by an Oversight and Selection Committee composed of senior faculty deeply invested in training students in this area. Pre-doctoral students will be recruited from a national pool of applicants who apply for graduate studies in our Interdisciplinary Graduate Program. Post-doctoral trainees will be selected from the pool of applicants that apply to preceptor laboratories as well as physician-scientists applicants from various clinical training programs at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. A multi-faceted recruitment strategy will continue to attract highly qualified individuals from underrepresented minority groups. In addition to intensive research experiences, both pre-doctoral and post-doctoral trainees will have rigorous didactic course requirements as well as formal mentoring and career guidance. The goal of the training program is to develop scientists with strong commitments to academic biomedical research in the area of ion channel and transporter biology.