Regenerative Engineering of Musculoskeletal Tissues- a Convergence Doctoral Training Program

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PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT We propose a novel NIAMS doctoral T32 Program, Regenerative Engineering of Musculoskeletal Tissues: A Convergence Doctoral Training Program, which offers inter-disciplinary research areas at the University of Connecticut (UConn) combining biomedical science and engineering faculties. Regenerative Engineering is defined as the Convergence of advanced materials science, stem cell science, physics, developmental biology and clinical translation for the regeneration of complex tissues and organ systems. The T32 Program will enroll 3 Ph.D. candidates per year and support each for 2 years of Graduate School. The students will be drawn from graduate programs at UConn (School of Medicine and School of Engineering). The students will then apply for T32 support at the end of Year 1 of graduate school to be supported for Years 2-3. They will all receive their Ph.D. from the Graduate School at UConn. The T32 Program will offer trainees a broad level of expertise in research and instruction based on the research, educational, and clinical experiences of the biomedical and engineering faculty who serve as preceptors. Trainees will become experts in regenerative engineering and its foundations to work towards the alleviation of human disease and musculoskeletal injuries by means of tissue regeneration. Musculoskeletal regeneration is a field ripe for an inventive approach based on convergence to address challenging issues, advance technology and further fundamental knowledge for therapeutic applications. At the center of the Convergence approach is the understanding that new solutions in regeneration will take place through an ‘un-siloed’ approach. Thus, Regenerative Engineering welcomes ideas and research across a gamut of disciplines. The T32 Program has preceptorship commitments from 20 distinguished faculty at UConn (representing Biomedical Engineering, Cell Biology, Computer Science, Genetics and Genome Sciences, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Oral Health, Orthopedic Surgery). This eminent group of investigators is well funded and published to provide the primary research training and serve as role models for doctoral trainees. The T32 Program goals are to educate, support and enhance the training of individuals dedicated to careers as independent clinical translational and basic scientists in regenerative engineering. Our Program strengths include its interdisciplinary and collaborative research in biomedical science and engineering, interactions with diverse trainees and faculty, training in contemporary research methodologies, and successful preceptors. T32 Program administration through the Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering will provide the experience to recruit diverse trainees, including minorities, implement the curriculum, and train a new cadre of convergence scientists.