Predoctoral Training: Innovative Technologies for Natural Products and Integrative Medicine Research

项目总结 天然产品(特别是植物性膳食补充剂)在美国是一个价值10亿美元的产业，并将继续 作为新疗法发展的重要来源。训练有素的生物医学研究人员 需要评估药用天然药物的化学成分、活性和作用机理 产品。国家补充和综合健康中心(NCCIH)在#年认识到这一需求 他们的2016年战略计划，明确的目标是“支持研究、培训和职业发展 增加受过严谨、尖端研究培训的科学家的数量和质量的机会 研究互补和综合的卫生实践。北卡罗来纳大学格林斯伯勒分校 (联合国开发计划署)是开展这类培训的独特和理想地点。我们的药物生物化学博士项目 强调天然产品和综合医学研究，我们拥有强大的合作网络 具有相关研究项目的教师导师。联合国开发计划署参与了由NCCIH资助的两个主要中心 专注于对植物天然产物的严格科学调查，高通量中心 天然产物的功能注释和天然产物药物相互作用的卓越中心 研究。为了利用联合国开发计划署卓越的培训环境，我们建议更新富有成效的T32 该计划刚刚结束了第一阶段的资助。借鉴了丰富的多元化制度文化， 联合国开发计划署，我们的T32计划提供天然产品基础科学和综合医学方面的培训 同时强调不同背景的学员的招聘、留住和成功。该计划 根据不同学生的需要量身定做，为学生提供不同的学习机会。 工业职业道路。我们计划的一个独特元素是应用尖端技术进行培训 复杂植物混合物的分析技术。受训者接受这方面的实践指导， 利用我们卓越的核磁共振和质谱学设备。我们的目标是让学员做好准备， 过渡到独立的、与天然产品相关的研究职业。在其首个筹资周期中， 该计划非常成功地实现了这一目标，我们的三名毕业生获得了 学术界或私营部门。我们的学员还传播了重要的研究成果，共有67个 在会议上发表演讲，并与23个出版物合著。通过此续订申请，我们在 这些过去的成功和我们的评估结果，以交付一个学生培养计划，最终将 推进天然产物和中西医结合安全有效利用的研究。

PROJECT SUMMARY Natural products (particularly botanical dietary supplements) are a billion-dollar industry in the US and continue to serve as an important source for the development of new therapeutics. Trained biomedical researchers are needed to evaluate the chemical composition, activity, and mechanism of action of medicinally used natural products. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) recognizes this need in their 2016 Strategic Plan, with the stated goal to “support research training and career development opportunities to increase the number and quality of scientists trained to conduct rigorous, cutting-edge research on complementary and integrative health practices.” The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) is a unique and ideal location for such training to occur. Our PhD program in Medicinal Biochemistry emphasizes natural products and integrative medicine research, and we have a strong collaborative network of faculty mentors with relevant research programs. UNCG participates in two major NCCIH funded centers that focus on rigorous scientific investigation of botanical natural products, the Center for High Throughput Functional Annotation of Natural Products and the Center of Excellence for Natural Product Drug Interaction Research. To leverage the exceptional training environment at UNCG, we propose to renew a productive T32 program that has just finished its first period of funding. Drawing on a rich institutional culture of diversity at UNCG, our T32 program provides training in the basic science of natural products and integrative medicine while emphasizing the recruitment, retention, and success of trainees from diverse backgrounds. The program is tailored to fit the needs of individual students, with different opportunities provided to those on academic and industrial career paths. A unique element of our program is training in the application of cutting-edge technologies for the analysis of complex botanical mixtures. Trainees receive hands-on instruction in this area, making use of our exceptional NMR and mass spectrometry facilities. Our objective is to prepare trainees to transition into independent, natural products related research careers. During its inaugural funding cycle, the program was highly successful towards this goal, with our three graduates securing research positions in the academic or private sector. Our trainees have also disseminated important research findings, with a total of 67 presentations at conferences and 23 publication coauthorships. With this renewal application, we build on these past successes and on our assessment outcomes to deliver a plan for student training that will ultimately advance research on the safe and effective use of natural products and integrative medicine.