NRSA Training Core

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The objective of this proposal is to provide rigorous training in all aspects of translational research related to regenerative medicine. There is a bourgeoning need for creative, critical, and responsible transdisciplinary scientists as thought leaders and administrators who will spearhead national efforts to bring regenerative medicine into widespread clinical practice. This national need was demonstrated by Congress's 21st Century Cures Act that established regenerative medicine as one of four national research areas in desperate need of clinical translation. This proposal integrates Boston University's marquee programs in biomedical engineering, pluripotent stem cell biology, human organoid in vitro disease modeling, precision medicine, gene editing, stem cell banking, and computational biomedicine to produce an extraordinarily rigorous and comprehensive training program in the emerging, futuristic discipline known broadly as “regenerative medicine.” This proposed renewal of the already successful Regenerative Training Program (RMTP), now in its 4th year, is geared to expanding and maturing this nascent program into a clinically-focused training experience for 6 pre-doctoral and 2 post- doctoral trainees. The proposed RMTP renewal incorporates mentored cross-disciplinary research, exciting courses taught by the leaders of these marquee programs, and additional training in critical thinking, scientific writing, oral presenting, and familiarity with the complex ethics that will face tomorrow's national thought leaders as regenerative medicine research moves from bench to bedside. To prepare for tomorrow's challenges and augment diversity in the research workforce, this renewal includes an innovative, novel year-long Post- baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) that recruits students from backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in biomedical research. An additional, novel goal of this TL1 is to pioneer the development of regenerative medicine core competencies for the CTSA. These competencies will maintain rigor of training and equip scholars to become leaders in translational regenerative medicine research. Beyond training superb scholars, the many deliverables of this renewed RMTP will include shareable patient-specific stem cell repositories procured from at risk patient populations as well as from the entire Framingham Study cohort, sophisticated protocols that will allow any CTSA institution to prepare patient-derived organoids in vitro, and hands-on training courses or on line modules that will disseminate this expertise freely across the entire CTSA. This “open-source” approach to science is central to the mission of BU's Center for Regenerative Medicine, the physical home of many TL1 faculty, labs and resources.