UCSF Musculoskeletal Training Program

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PROJECT SUMMARY The overall goal of the UCSF Musculoskeletal (MSK) Training Program is to prepare Ph.D. scientists and M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. residents and fellows for a lifetime of scholarly pursuits that lead to in-depth understanding and improved care for patients with MSK diseases. We are confident that our proposed training program will accomplish this goal. Drawing on the solid mentorship skills of 35 nationally renowned and highly collaborative faculty with primary appointments in 10 academic and clinical departments, the UCSF MSK Training Program provides rigorous research training in basic and clinical/translational sciences important to the study of MSK diseases. These 35 participating faculty members bring multi-disciplined expertise that reflects areas of rapidly expanding research development such as stem cells, neurobiology, tissue regeneration, molecular physiology, and artificial intelligence. A vital aspect of the program is to focus exclusively on preparing postdoctoral trainees for independent research careers. The program proposes three slots for postdoctoral trainees, including two slots for Ph.D. postdoctoral fellows (research training duration of two years) and one slot for physician trainees from our research-track residency program in Orthopaedic Surgery (research training duration of one year). The central component of the training experience is direct research in the basic laboratory or clinical/translational research group of a primary research mentor. The training experience fuses this scientific training with sustained, individualized, and goal-oriented mentorship that guides trainees along the pathway to gaining their competitive research funding. The program includes formal coursework in ethics, rigor and reproducibility, statistical analysis, and grant-writing. It will also emphasize basic and clinical/translational science education by drawing on significant curricular activities designed explicitly for MSK science; innovative research experiences with an emphasis on scientific rigor and translation; individualized development plans that utilize evidence-based approaches for career planning; numerous exposures to state-of-the-art methods and techniques through weekly grand rounds and invited lectures, monthly research-in-progress seminars, journal clubs, and an annual retreat; and scientific communication through formal expectations of publications and presentations at national meetings. These activities capitalize on the programmatic and scientific infrastructure created by several existing MSK- related centers and institutes with UCSF-wide participation and influence. Overall, the training enabled by this program will attract and prepare junior scientists with the goal of understanding the mechanistic basis of MSK diseases, finding new therapies for these diseases, and ensuring that scientific discoveries lead to advances in public health in an equitable and cost-effective manner. In doing so, the program will ensure that a cadre of young scientists will pursue academic careers in MSK research and advance the field in fundamental ways.