Predoctoral Training in Pharmacological Sciences

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案要求支持威尔医学研究生院（WGSMC）的药理学博士前培训。WGSMS的药理科学培训计划是跨部门和跨机构的，由康奈尔大学威尔医学院和斯隆-凯特琳研究所的杰出研究人员组成。这些机构提供了一个非常丰富的研究环境，包括最先进的仪器和核心设施，慷慨的空间分配给药理学计划，并继续致力于招募最聪明和最好的新教师。24名参与的教师导师是一个有凝聚力的世界级研究人员，在培养富有成效的年轻科学家方面有着良好的记录。教师有不同的研究兴趣，提供了广泛的机会，在跨越分子，细胞和系统药理学领域的培训。主要研究领域包括计算生物学、化学和结构生物学、细胞信号传导、心血管、抗菌、癌症和神经药理学。该计划招收 每年有10-12名最优秀的学生，其中8-10名通常有资格获得NIH的支持。2005年的新生班将包括8名符合培训条件的学生（从114名申请者中选出的10名入学学生）。这些被招募的学生获得了美国顶尖大学的本科学位，之前有研究经验，平均本科GPA为3.75，平均GRE成绩在第75百分位。接受这些优秀学生目前受到财政资源的限制，而不是申请人的质量。此外，雅阁国家卫生研究院的指导方针，近年来，其他机构的培训赠款减少了对博士前学员的支持，转而支持博士后学员。在博士前培训的第一年，学生将完成三个实验室轮换和课程的密集课程，旨在为药理学学科的基础科学领域提供坚实的基础;这些包括化学生物学，分子信号转导，系统药理学/生理学，神经药理学和癌症药理学。该计划还提供逻辑和实验设计以及科学研究道德方面的培训。已经制定了方案，以确定代表性不足的少数民族受训人员，该方案在招募少数民族受训人员方面非常成功。事实上，2005年承诺参加该方案的10名学生中有3名是少数民族候选人（2名符合培训条件）。培养学生批判性地解读科学文献的能力是本专业的一个重点。这在很大程度上是在一个密集的小组设置，其中学生在科学方法严格训练，并自由挑战既定的教条。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal requests support for predoctoral training in Pharmacological Sciences at the Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences (WGSMC). The Training Program in Pharmacological Sciences at WGSMS is inter-departmental and inter-institutional, comprising a faculty of distinguished investigators assembled from the Weill Medical College of Cornell University and the Sloan-Kettering Institute. These institutions provide an exceedingly rich research environment, including state-of-the-art instrumentation and core facilities, generous space allocation to the Pharmacology Program and a continuing commitment to recruiting the brightest and best new faculty. The twenty-four participating faculty mentors are a cohesive group of world-class investigators with a strong record for training productive young scientists. The faculty have diverse research interests, providing broad opportunities for training in areas spanning molecular, cellular and systems pharmacology. Primary research areas include computational biology, chemical and structural biology, cell signaling, cardiovascular, antimicrobial, cancer and neuropharmacology. The Program enrolls 10-12 of the most outstanding students annually, with 8-10 typically eligible for NIH support. The incoming Class of 2005 will contain 8 students (of 10 entering; selected from a pool of 114 applicants) that are training-eligible. These recruited students received undergraduate degrees from top universities in the USA, had prior research experiences, mean undergraduate GPAs of 3.75 and mean GRE scores in the 75th percentile. Acceptance of such outstanding students is currently limited by financial resources, not the quality of the applicant pool. Moreover, in accord with NIH guidelines, other institutional training grants have, in recent years, diminished their support for predoctoral trainees, favoring instead the support of postdoctoral trainees. During the first year of predoctoral training, students will complete three laboratory rotations and an intensive curriculum of coursework designed to provide a solid foundation in the areas of science that are fundamental to the discipline of Pharmacology; these include chemical biology, molecular signal transduction, systems pharmacology/physiology, neuropharmacology and cancer pharmacology. The program additionally provides training in logic and experimental design as well as ethics in scientific research. Programs are in place to identify under-represented minority trainees and the Program has been highly successful in recruiting minority trainees. Indeed 3 of the 10 students committed to enter the Program in 2005 are minority candidates (2 are training-eligible). An emphasis of the Program is to cultivate the students' capacity for critical interpretation of scientific literature. This is achieved largely in an intensive small group setting wherein students are rigorously trained in the scientific method and to freely challenge established dogma.