Molecular Genetics of Basic Cell Function

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Project Summary/Abstract The proposed program will support five predoctoral trainees per year in an interdisciplinary interdepartmental training program, previously focused solely on Microbiology and in its 46th year of funding from NIGMS. Based in the Graduate Programs in Genetics and Molecular Microbiology at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Tufts University, trainees will continue to be selected from the strong pool of predoctoral PhD and MD-PhD students in these programs. Our program will support trainees in their second and third years based on their commitment to in-depth genetics training as evidenced by their thesis research, and on outstanding records of academic and research achievement. This expanded program focuses on genetic analysis across bacteria, viruses, fungi, Drosophila, and higher eukaryotes as a means of understanding fundamental aspects of cellular growth and differentiation, moving interdisciplinarity to the center of student research. It stresses the intellectual rigor of the formal genetic approach while insisting that deductions from genetic experiments be tested at the biochemical-molecular level. Our faculty of 21 are drawn from six different departments and form a core of exceptional scientists whose hallmark is their commitment to meaningful mentorship. They bring extended breadth and depth to opportunities for student thesis research across a range of experimental systems and molecular genetic techniques. In addition to their strong research records, they bring an outstanding track record of mentoring predoctoral students; 90% of their prior trainees are members of the biomedical workforce. To strengthen student experience and support across this scientific breadth, we offer a unique multidisciplinary co-mentorship model that also builds the understanding of collaborative research essential for contemporary biomedical research and takes advantage of complementary strengths at our Arts, Sciences and Engineering campus, our School of Veterinary Medicine and our Genetics program at the Jackson Laboratory. Students’ learning is further enhanced through several career development and preparedness activities designed specifically for this cohort, such as our EDGE program that introduces students to, prepares them for careers in the biotechnology industry, and launched using a supplement to our current NIGMS T32. These experiences rely on targeted career advising infrastructure, including an Individual Development Plan, career development workshops, and industry internships for career exploration. Underlying all our training is our graduate school’s ongoing mission of training to career excellence through methods and experiences designed to reinforce research rigor and reproducibility practices, alongside a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. With 12% of PhD graduates in the past 20 years members of underrepresented groups, our program continues to improve our record of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the biomedical workforce: our commitment is signaled by a steep rise in the percentage of students from underrepresented groups entering in the past two academic years (38%).