Veterinary Student Training in Biomedical Research

描述(由申请人提供)：该计划的目标是为兽医专业的学生在其职业生涯的形成阶段提供一个从事基于假说的生物医学研究的机会。兽医对医学学科的科学发现有很大的贡献，因为兽医教育本身就具有广泛的基础和可比性。兽医专业的学生学习综合各种来源的医学信息，包括各种动物物种，使用问题解决和比较的方法，从分子机制到完整的动物临床特征来评估疾病的发病机制和治疗策略。因此，兽医教育为发展具体的科学专长提供了广泛的基础。帮助兽医学生发现这种协同作用，并提高他们对生物医学研究的兴趣是目前培训应用的目标。 该计划将以受训者为中心，在研究实验室全职工作，在教师导师的指导和直接监督下进行实验。康奈尔大学教职员工代表的学科包括传染病、遗传学、生理学、癌症生物学、生殖生物学、毒理学和食品安全。支持会议将包括以小组讨论形式提供的七个研究信息模块。模块主题包括：1)细胞和分子生物学，2)基因组学和蛋白质组学，3)转基因动物模型，4)基于动物的比较生物医学研究，5)传染病和食品安全，6)实验设计和统计分析，以及7)实验动物医学和比较病理学。学生还将完成一门研究生课程，重点是研究科学家的道德和职业责任。 培训班为期一年，每年招收5名兽医专业学生。预计大多数学生将在完成兽医课程的第二年后选择进入该项目。根据过去的经验，大多数学生以前都有过研究经验，其中许多人是兽医学院暑期研究项目的参与者。此外，所有学生都被要求拥有优异的学历。将优秀的学习成绩和研究天赋与重点培训计划相结合，预计将培养出在整个兽医职业生涯中保持对研究兴趣的学生，从而为跨物种的医学研究做出重要而独特的贡献。 公共卫生相关性(由申请者提供)：根据其专业要求，兽医在比较医学方面接受了广泛的培训。这种培训使他们能够将从各种动物物种获得的医学信息转化为人类疾病的诊断和治疗，特别是由特定基因突变或通过食物或与受感染动物接触传播的传染病引起的疾病。我们建议的培训计划将使兽医学生能够发展复杂的研究技能，这些技能可以与他们的临床专业知识相结合，显著改善生物医学研究和公共卫生。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of the proposed program is to provide veterinary students with an opportunity to engage in hypothesis-based biomedical research during the formative stages of their careers. Veterinarians have much to contribute to scientific discovery in medical disciplines, in that an education in veterinary medicine is inherently broad-based and comparative. Veterinary students are trained to integrate medical information from a variety of sources encompassing the full array of animal species, using problem solving and comparative approaches to evaluate disease pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies from molecular mechanisms through intact animal clinical features. As such, an education in veterinary medicine provides a broad foundation upon which to develop specific scientific expertise. Helping veterinary students discover this synergy and enhancing their interest in biomedical research is the goal of the current training application. The program will center on the trainee working full-time in a research laboratory, conducting experiments with the guidance and direct supervision of a faculty mentor. Disciplines represented by participating Cornell University faculty include infectious diseases, genetics, physiology, cancer biology, reproductive biology, toxicology, and food safety. Supporting sessions will include seven research information modules delivered in a small group discussion format Module topics include: 1) cell and molecular biology, 2) genomics and proteomics, 3) transgenic animal models, 4) comparative animal-based biomedical research, 5) infectious diseases and food safety, 6) experimental design and statistical analyses, and 7) laboratory animal medicine and comparative pathology. Students will also complete a graduate course focused on ethics and the professional responsibilities of research scientists. The duration of the training period will be one year and five veterinary students will be enrolled each year. It is anticipated that most students will elect to enter the program following completion of their second year in the veterinary curriculum. Based on past experience, most of the students will have had research exposure previously, many as participants in one of the College of Veterinary Medicine's summer research programs. In addition, all students are required to have outstanding academic credentials. Combining excellent academic performance and an aptitude for research with a focused training program is expected to produce students who will sustain an interest in research throughout their careers as veterinarians and thereby make important and unique contributions to medical research across species. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE (provided by applicant): By virtue of the requirements of their profession, veterinarians are broadly trained in comparative medicine. Such training provides them with the ability to translate medical information obtained from a variety of animal species to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in humans, particularly diseases caused by specific genetic mutations or the transmission of infectious agents via food or contact with infected animals. The training program we propose will enable veterinary students to develop sophisticated research skills that can be used in combination with their clinical expertise to significantly improve biomedical research and public health.