IGERT: Optical techniques for actuation, sensing, and imaging of biological systems

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Progress in the biological sciences and medicine relies increasingly on methods, approaches, and strategies derived from synergistic interactions with the physical sciences and engineering. One notable example of this is the use of optical methods for biosensing and bioimaging. Furthermore, the tremendous nanoscale device fabrication capabilities built up in microelectronics and photonics furnish unparalleled opportunities for leveraging highly integrated platforms for on-chip biological sensor systems. By their nature, these applications cross through multiple disciplines and require a team with diverse expertise in the fundamental light/tissue interaction, complex optical instrumentation and imaging tools, and relevant biological systems. In this Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) program a new generation of scientists and engineers will be trained through a set of five research thrusts that cross three fundamental core competency areas: optics, photonics, and sensor electronics; biomolecular detection and cellular-level analysis; and applications to medicine and public health. Each IGERT trainee will be empowered to work at the boundaries between the disciplines and will be uniquely capable of contributing to advancements in this important emerging field. With 19 faculty members representing academic departments across Columbia University's School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Arts and Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Teachers College, and incorporating strong interaction with City College, Queens College, and The Cooper Union in New York City, the IGERT trainees will experience a truly diverse community sharing in the integrated educational and research activities and will be exposed to a wide spectrum of cutting-edge applications. An external advisory board including industrial and government labs will provide additional connections between the IGERT and outside partners. Educationally, this IGERT program fulfills a compelling need to train a diverse workforce of U. S. scientists and engineers trained in an area of large and growing competitive importance to the United States. The proposed enrichment program provides IGERT fellows with enhanced training through experience in industry and government laboratories, seminars on professional development, career guidance, entrepreneurship, and discussion of ethical issues. Significant resources are committed to ensuring recruitment and retention of fellows from underrepresented groups. IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.