TRAINING IN SMOOTH AND CARDIAC MUSCLE BIOLOGY

我们培训计划的主要目标保持不变，目前已进入第15个年头。我们的目标是为科学和临床社区提供高素质的研究人员，他们拥有在学术环境中出类拔萃的技能和知识，并执行心血管功能和疾病的独立研究人员。该课程的具体目标是为博士后和博士后(医学博士或博士)学生提供平滑和心肌功能的生理、分子、生物物理和生化方面的培训。我们的培训计划强调尖端技术、最先进的设施和具有挑战性的智力环境。我们培训经费的一个重大变化是正式成立了一个战略教育和研究培训联盟，涉及三个基础科学和三个临床部门。这种多学科的方法更好地利用了这些系中优秀的教师、研究和教育项目。我们受训人员的研究重点是：1)平滑和心肌兴奋性和功能的离子机制；2)平滑和心肌收缩和代谢的调节；3)钙信号和细胞内钙稳态的机制；以及4)血管和心肌功能中的内分泌和神经因素。博士前候选人在顺利完成第一年的课程工作后进入培训计划，该课程包括研究生生理学、生物化学、细胞分子生物学和生物统计学。第一年的博士前候选人轮流通过至少三个实验室进行“实践”研究。博士后候选人被招募到特定的实验室，在他们感兴趣的领域进行强化培训。培训计划包括机构外知名研究人员每周举行的研讨会、期刊俱乐部和研究座谈会。我们的记录很好，我们招募人数不足的少数族裔非常成功。我们博士前候选人的资历继续上升；被录取的学生的GRE远远超过1900分。尽管竞争非常激烈，但我们博士后申请者的数量和质量也在继续上升。我们的许多博士后研究员都获得了NRSA个人奖项或其他机构的个人奖学金。我们为我们培训项目的毕业生感到非常自豪；绝大多数人继续从事研究，许多人在学术界拥有成功的职业生涯。培训助学金教员中增加了12名优秀教官。其中大部分来自分子遗传学系，它是我们战略研究和教育联盟的主要合作伙伴。这一安排促进了科学互动，并增强了我们心血管培训计划中教育和研究经验的广度。

The primary goal of our training program, which is in its fifteenth year, remains unchanged. Our goal is to provide the scientific and clinical community with highly qualified investigators who have the skills and knowledge to excel in an academic setting and to perform independent investigators of cardiovascular function and disease. The specific objective is to provide training to pre- and postdoctoral (M.D. or Ph.D) students in the physiological, molecular, biophysical, and biochemical aspects of smooth and cardiac muscle function. Our training program emphasizes cutting-edge technology, state-of-the-art facilities, and a challenging intellectual environment. A major change in our training grant is the formal of a strategic educational and research training alliance that involves three basic science and three clinical departments. This multi-disciplinary approach takes better advantage of the outstanding faculty, research and educational programs in these departments. The areas of research emphasis for our trainees are: 1) ionic mechanisms of smooth and cardiac muscle excitability and function; 2) regulation of smooth and cardiac muscle contractility and metabolism; 3) mechanisms of calcium signaling and intracellular calcium homeostasis; and 4) endocrine and neural factors in smooth and cardiac muscle function. Predoctoral candidates enter the training program following successful completion of the first year of course work, which includes graduate physiology, biochemistry molecular biology of the cell, and biostatistics. First year predoctoral candidates rotate through at least three laboratories for "hands-on" research experience. Postdoctoral candidates are recruited into specific laboratories for intensive training in their area of interest. The training program includes weekly seminars by prominent investigators outside the institution, journal clubs and research colloquia. Our track record is excellent Our recruitment of under-represented minorities has been very successful. The credentials of our predoctoral candidates continues to rise; the GREs of accepted students are well above 1900. The number and quality of our postdoctoral applicants also continues to rise despite very competitive times. Many of our postdoctoral fellows have obtained individual NRSA awards or individual fellowships for other agencies. We are very proud of the graduates of our training program; the vast majority has continued in research and many have successful careers in academia. Twelve outstanding preceptors have been added to the training grant faculty. Most of these are from the Department of Molecular Genetics, which is a major partner in our strategic research and educational alliance. This arrangement promotes scientific interactions and enhance the breadth of educational and research experiences in our cardiovascular training program.