REU Site: Engineering Tools for Decision Support in Systems Medicine

匹兹堡大学这个新的为期三年的REU现场项目的主要目标是每年让9名本科生参与系统医学新兴领域的研究。系统医学问题的特点是复杂的相互作用的系统，需要多学科的知识来制定和解决。该REU提案的智力价值源于该领域的出现，以及对具有知识和动机的专家的需求，以解决数学模型可以提供假设生成和验证预测的受限现实问题。此外，与其他生物医学研究领域相比，现有的REU站点对系统医学的服务不足，该站点将扩大现有的REU组合，同时培养可以成为该领域下一代领导者的学生。实验数据耦合建模和系统分析方法的必要性因此，在验证后产生预测模型是解决临床相关系统医学问题的先决条件。通过一系列的指导研究和教学经验，REU学生将在成为下一代系统医学领域的专家的道路上迈出第一步。更广泛的影响PI将积极招募代表性不足的本科生参与跨学科研究，并提高项目中所有学生在沟通、团队合作和专业技能方面的能力。通过现有的关系，以及与少数民族，女性或主要本科院校的新关系的发展，该计划将通过培养独立和合作调查系统医学研究问题的能力，为传统上在工程（和STEM）研究生水平上代表性不足的人群提供研究生教育的途径。一种传播途径是设计用于K-12教育的模拟；通过与CTSI“流动实验室”合作，为K-12学生提供计算实验，以激发这些学生在学士阶段学习STEM科目的愿望。

Intellectual MeritThe primary objective of this new three-year REU site program at the University of Pittsburgh is to expose 9 undergraduate students per year to research in the emerging field of systems medicine. Systems medicine problems are characterized by complex interacting systems requiring multidisciplinary knowledge to formulate and solve. The intellectual merit of this REU proposal derives from the emergence of this field and the need for experts with the knowledge and motivation to address constrained real-world problems where mathematical models can provide hypothesis-generating and in validating predictions. Furthermore, systems medicine is underserved by existing REU sites, in comparison to other areas of biomedical research, and this site would expand the existing REU portfolio while educating students who could serve as the next generation of leaders in the field. The necessity of coupling modeling and systems analysis approaches to experimental data; thereby yielding a predictive model upon validation is a prerequisite to solving clinically-relevant systems medicine problems. Through a series of mentored research and teaching experiences, REU students will take the first step on the path to becoming the next generation of experts in the field of systems medicine.Broader ImpactsThe PI will actively recruit underrepresented undergraduates to participate in interdisciplinary research and to advance the abilities of all students in the program with respect to communication, teamwork, and professional skills. Through existing relationships, and the development of new ones with minority, female, or primarily undergraduate institutions, the program will provide a pathway to graduate education for populations that are traditionally underrepresented at the engineering (and STEM) post-graduate level by fostering the ability to independently and collaboratively investigate systems medicine research problems. One path of dissemination is to design simulations for use in K-12 education; through partnering with the CTSI "Mobile Lab" to bring computational experiments to K-12 students in an effort to stimulate the desire of these students to pursue STEM subjects at the baccalaureate level.