UCSF/UCB Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering

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PROJECT SUMMARY The overall mission of the UCSF/UC Berkeley Bioengineering Training Program is to train future leaders and innovators in bioengineering. We hope to instill a culture of collaboration, creativity, and productivity to support innovative and independent thinkers, capable of addressing critical questions at the interface of science and engineering. The program links two of the most productive and highly regarded research and educational institutions in the nation with the goal of creating opportunities for graduate students to experience how engineering principles can be brought to bear upon important problems in biomedical sciences and clinical care. Our 95 faculty are based in 25 departments over two campuses and their laboratories include an array of state- of-the art facilities. We pursue these goals through a combination of coursework, mentored research, and other structured training activities. The bioengineering training program provides a fundamental foundation in both engineering and biology, and integrates computational science and clinical exposure. Required courses teach students rigor and reproducibility, biostatistics, and computational approaches in research. Skills development in evaluating, proposing and communicating research is also threaded through the first year curriculum and reinforced by laboratory training and mentorship. Career exploration and professional development is emphasized from the beginning of the student experience and supported by robust program and institutional resources, and professional mentorship from program faculty, all of whom are required to participate in mentor development training. We anticipate supporting 20 trainees annually from the large pool of eligible students in the UCSF/UC Berkeley Graduate Program in Bioengineering, which aims to enroll 35 new entrants each year. Intended program outcomes include degree completion in 5-6 years, generation and communication of a body of rigorous and impactful bioengineering research, and successful transition to a diversity of bioengineering- related careers. We strive to provide an inclusive learning and mentoring atmosphere so that we can uphold the same high standards for program outcomes for all students, including those from underrepresented backgrounds, students with disability, and students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. The unique ability for bioengineers to integrate principles from diverse fields and thereby span the gap between advances in basic science and clinical utilization places individuals trained in this field at a critical point in advancing the research and education mission of NIH NIGMS.