Pharmacological Sciences Training Grant



 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application is a request for the 26+ years of continuous support for the Training Program in the Pharmacological Sciences of the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. We seek financial support for six outstanding predoctoral students who will be working for a Ph.D. degree with research emphasis on cellular communication and disease. This is a broadly based, multidisciplinary effort, which involves 21 faculty members from five departments in the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. These departments include: Pharmacological and Physiological Science; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Chemistry; Internal Medicine; Otolaryngology and the Center for World Health and Medicine. Students will be selected from candidates who have successfully completed the one year Core Program in Basic Biomedical Science, directly enter with advanced degrees, or M.D./Ph.D. students who have completed the first two years of medical school. We have designed a curriculum that provides in-depth training in Pharmacological Science regardless of the student's background. During the first year of study, all traditional Ph.D. students enroll in the interdisciplinary Core Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences. This program is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in all aspects of basic biomedical science and the freedom to explore diverse research opportunities. The curriculum combines lectures, small group discussion and seminars. Students entering the Pharmacological Sciences Training Program take advanced pharmacology, journal clubs and seminars. Key to this training program is integration of quantitative pharmacological approaches, application of chemical biology tools, and drug discovery techniques into the formal training program. We utilize several key colleagues from the pharmaceutical industry to enhance this portion of the training program. Subsequent training for all Ph.D. candidates will concentrate on the development of research and teaching competence in a specific area of inquiry under the mentorship of one or more members of the Pharmacological Sciences Training Faculty. The mentors and laboratories participating in this program are well equipped to provide state-of-the-art research training. In addition, core and shared facilities for advanced technologies are available for enhancement of the research training of the participating candidates. Students supported by the T32 Pharmacological Sciences Training Grant have access to a range of unique enrichment activities. The overall objectives of this training program are to provide individuals with the opportunity to achieve a high degree of competence in the area of pharmacological sciences thus preparing them for teaching and research careers.