Post Graduate Program in Cutaneous Biology

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Project Summary The Northwestern Postgraduate Training Program in Cutaneous Biology (NPTCB) seeks to train highly motivated postdoctoral fellows for an academic career focused on cutaneous biology. The NPTCB provides an integrated curriculum designed to: 1) educate trainees in critical thinking, writing/presentation skills, the peer-review pro- cess, and the responsible conduct of research; and 2) provide stage-appropriate mentorship to ensure profes- sional development. These aims are achieved through frequent reviews with the Primary Mentor and Mentorship Committees as well as participation in formal didactics and seminars. Our Primary Mentors come from an inter- disciplinary cohort of internationally recognized scientists (and mentors-in-training) focused on cutaneous biol- ogy. These scientific leaders, who will serve as the primary mentors for our trainees, have appointments not only in the Department of Dermatology, but also in other elite departments in the university (among them Medicine, Microbiology/Immunology, Biomedical Engineering, and Chemistry). Their research spans one or more of the five areas of research concentration highlighted in this renewal application: 1) Biomedical Engineering and Aug- mented Intelligence, 2) Nanotechnology, 3) Genomics/Epigenomics, 4) Skin Immunology, and 5) Cell and De- velopmental Biology of the Skin. In addition, our trainees have a mentorship committee that includes a Resource Faculty member (an internationally recognized scientist with recognized mentoring skills) and a member of the NUPTCB Career Development and Retention Committee. The “in lab training” will be supplemented by a formal program of educational enrichment activities. This includes didactic coursework and a wide variety of seminars that dovetail with the areas of research focus, e.g., the “Bench to Bedside” lecture series, journal clubs, and “Research in Progress” meetings. We also have a unique “Road to Translational Research” mentoring team, which enables all trainees to become familiar with the process of moving forward in translational research. The grant is administered by four, highly collaborative committees. These include the Executive Committee (which oversees the training program), a prestigious Internal Advisory Committee (who work with formal evaluation programs to provide feedback to improve the program), the Career Development and Retention Committee (dedicated to mentoring trainees through the transition to junior faculty), and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (whose mission is to ensure we have a diverse and equitable applicant pool and trainee selection process). Our trainees comprise an outstanding cohort of MD, MD/PhD, and PhD scientists who are passionate about cutaneous biology. As a measure of our success, the Northwestern University Postgraduate Training Pro- gram in Cutaneous Biology (NUPTCB) has trained 13 postdoctoral fellows during the last 11 years, of whom 11 remain in academics (6 as faculty). In summary, we have the applicant pool, the leadership, advisory committees, faculty mentors, and infrastructure to train future leaders in the field of dermatology and skin biology/engineering. These factors make Northwestern University an ideal site for this Training Program in Cutaneous Biology.