Training Program in Ion Channel and Transporter Biology

项目概述/摘要离子通道和转运蛋白是普遍存在的分子，具有多种重要的生理功能，为多种药理药物提供靶点，并且由基因编码，可能是影响神经系统和其他组织的遗传性疾病的基础。本提案描述了离子通道和转运体生物学培训计划的延续，该计划将为博士后科学家提供多学科研究培训。这个高度集中的培训项目涉及30名美国国立卫生研究院资助的导师（总资金3150万美元/年直接成本），他们隶属于范德比尔特大学13个不同的学术部门和10个研究中心，在离子通道和转运体领域取得了良好的成就，并致力于培养博士后。这个跨部门培训项目利用了该研究领域近20年的机构和多学科实力。该项目最初于2001年开始，当时只有19名教师，从那时起，已成功填补了所有资助职位。虽然培训计划最初包括博士前培训，但参与的教师一致认为，该计划将重点放在博士后学员身上，以使培训计划更加连贯，并扩大博士后职位的数量。博士后受训者将从申请导师实验室的申请人中以及范德比尔特大学主办的年度招聘活动中选出。多方面的招聘策略将继续从代表性不足的群体中吸引高素质的人才。除了丰富的研究经验外，学员还将有教学课程要求，包括一门专注于拨款写作的课程，一个创新的系列研讨会，致力于鼓舞人心的转化研究，正式的指导和职业指导。高水平的教师导师，跨学科的培训机会，强大的机构优势相结合，形成了一个独特的环境，适合培训计划的目标，即培养在离子通道和转运生物学领域具有强烈学术生物医学研究承诺的科学家。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Project Summary/Abstract Ion channels and transporter proteins are ubiquitous molecules that serve a variety of important physiological functions, provide targets for many types of pharmacological agents, and are encoded by genes that can be the basis for inherited diseases affecting the nervous system and other tissues. This proposal describes the continuation of a Training Program in Ion Channel and Transporter Biology that will provide multidisciplinary research training for postdoctoral scientists. This highly focused training program involves 30 NIH-funded preceptors (aggregate funding >$31,500,000 direct costs/year) affiliated with 13 different academic departments and 10 research centers at Vanderbilt University with strong records of accomplishments in the ion channel and transporter field, and with a deep commitment to training postdoctoral fellows. This interdepartmental training program capitalizes on a nearly 20-year history of institutional and multidisciplinary strength in this research field. The program began initially in 2001 with only 19 faculty and has successfully filled all funded positions since that time. Although the training program originally included predoctoral training, the consensus of the participating faculty members was to focus the program on postdoctoral trainees to enable a more coherent training program and to expand the number of available postdoctoral positions. Postdoctoral trainees will be selected from the pool of applicants that apply to preceptor laboratories as well as by an annual recruitment event hosted by Vanderbilt University. A multi-faceted recruitment strategy will continue to attract highly qualified individuals from underrepresented groups. In addition to intensive research experiences, trainees will have didactic course requirements that include a focused course on grant writing, an innovative seminar series devoted to inspiring translational research, formal mentoring and career guidance. The high caliber of faculty mentors, the interdisciplinary nature of training opportunities, the strong institutional strengths combine to foster a unique environment suited to the goal of the training program, which is to develop scientists with strong commitments to academic biomedical research in the area of ion channel and transporter biology.