Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Host Defense

描述（由申请人提供）：该培训计划旨在培养年轻科学家在免疫学研究领域的独立职业生涯。在这一领域对聪明的、受过彻底训练的研究者的需求是巨大的：自身免疫疾病、先天性和获得性免疫缺陷疾病以及淋巴样肿瘤是当今最重要和最令人困惑的发病原因。宿主防御的细胞和分子机制水平的研究对于阐明和预防骨髓和实体器官移植的免疫并发症以及基因治疗的免疫反应也至关重要。受训者（博士前和博士后（医学博士或博士）研究员）由贝勒医学院免疫学系的17名主要或联合任命的项目教师之一指导，他们的研究项目涉及现代免疫学的各个领域，包括淋巴细胞活化和凋亡，淋巴细胞分化，免疫反应，炎症，HIV，基因治疗，造血干细胞生物学，粘附分子和细胞因子。培养对象：培养博士预科生3人，博士后3人。博士预科生主要从已进入免疫学研究生课程的学生中选拔，并选择一名培训教师作为他们的论文导师。通过其他项目进入参与学院实验室的学生也可以被考虑。这些学员完成免疫学基础和高级领域以及现代细胞和分子生物学的核心课程。博士后受训者从高素质的博士或医学博士申请者中挑选，到个别培训教师或通过广告寻找。除教师对研究训练和职业发展的指导外，博士后还可选修高级免疫学课程。培训设施和环境：免疫学系现有教职工35人。十个主要教员中的九个被安置在大约23,000平方英尺的连续空间中，其中包括12,300平方英尺的Alkek研究生研究中心。总的来说，培训教师每年带来超过1700万美元的直接拨款成本，占用了大约41,000平方英尺的实验室空间，包括免疫学部门和贝勒中心综合大楼的现代研究设施，以及休斯顿退伍军人医院、德克萨斯儿童医院和卫理会医院。现有在读博士生29人，博士后45人。培训在贝勒医学院的研究环境中进行，贝勒医学院在全球医学院中名列前茅，是NIH资助的领导者。德克萨斯医疗中心是世界上最大的医疗中心，并提供了一个高度互动的培训环境，丰富的合作。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This training program is designed to prepare young scientists for independent careers in immunological research. The need for bright, thoroughly trained investigators in this area is great: diseases of autoimmunity, congenital and acquired immunodeficiency, and lymphoid neoplasms are among the most significant and perplexing causes of morbidity today. Research at the level of cellular and molecular mechanisms of host defense is also critical for elucidating and preventing the immunologic complications of bone marrow and solid organ transplantation and immune responses to gene therapy. Trainees (predoctoral and postdoctoral (M.D. or Ph.D.) fellows) are mentored by one of 17 program faculty with primary or joint appointments in the Department of Immunology at Baylor College of Medicine, whose research programs address diverse areas of modern immunology, including lymphocyte activation and apoptosis, lymphocyte differentiation, immune responses, inflammation, HIV, gene therapy, hematopoeitic stem cell biology, adhesion molecules, and cyotokines. Trainees: Support for three predoctoral and three postdoctoral trainees is requested. Predoctoral trainees are selected primarily from among students who have matriculated into the Immunology graduate program and chosen one of the training faculty as their thesis mentor. Students who have entered the laboratories of participating faculty through other programs may also be considered. These trainees complete a core curriculum in basic and advanced areas of immunology and in modern cell and molecular biology. Postdoctoral trainees are selected from highly qualified Ph.D. or M.D. applicants to individual training faculty or sought through advertisements. In addition to faculty guidance of research training and career development, postdoctoral trainees may take advanced immunology courses. Training Facilities and Environment: There are 35 faculty in the Department of Immunology. Nine of the ten primary faculty are housed in approximately 23,000 square feet of contiguous space, including 12,300 square feet in the Alkek Center for Graduate Research. Collectively, the training faculty bring in over $17.0 million in annual direct grant costs and occupy approximately 41,000 square feet of laboratory space, including the Department of Immunology and modern research facilities in the central Baylor complex and the Houston VA, Texas Children's, and Methodist hospitals. Currently there are 29 predoctoral students in the Department and 45 postdoctoral fellows in the program faculty's laboratories. Training occurs in the research environment of Baylor College of Medicine, highly ranked among medical schools worldwide and a leader in NIH funding. The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical center in the world, and provides a highly interactive training environment rich in collaborations.