Houston Area Molecular Biophysics Program

描述（由申请人提供）：休斯顿地区分子生物物理学项目自1989年以来一直指导和指导休斯顿-加尔维斯顿地区博士生的分子生物物理学研究培训。为期五年的续签，增加两个名额（总共11个），以培养在这一日益重要的领域前沿工作的优秀学生，从而保持卓越和创新。在项目主任和一个指导委员会的指导下，该指导委员会由来自墨西哥湾沿岸联盟五所研究生院（贝勒医学院、莱斯大学、德克萨斯大学健康科学中心、休斯顿大学、德克萨斯大学医学分部和休斯顿大学）的两名代表组成，该项目提供共同的教学和研讨会课程，两次地方年度研究会议，每月学员会议，参加全国会议，并对实习生的研究进展进行年度汇报和回顾。所有学生都必须参加负责任的研究行为培训。导师包括来自6个机构的46名教职员工，他们在16个不同的部门工作，并参与了3个跨部门的研究生项目。学员是在一个竞争激烈的过程中从学生中挑选出来的，这些学生在导师实验室的项目提供了分子生物物理学方面的培训。培训生选拔

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Houston Area Molecular Biophysics Program has guided and directed research training in molecular biophysics for Ph.D. students in the Houston-Galveston area since 1989. A five-year renewal with two additional slots (11 total) is sought to allow continued excellence and innovation in training outstanding students working at the cutting edges of this increasingly important field. Under the direction of the program director and a steering committee with two representatives each from the five graduate schools of the Gulf Coast Consortium (Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, University of Texas Medical Branch, and University of Houston) the program provides for common didactic and seminar courses, two local annual research conferences, monthly trainee meetings, attendance at national meetings, and annual presentation and review of trainee research progress. All students are required to participate in training in the responsible conduct of research. Mentors include 46 faculty members at six institutions, working in 16 different departments and involved in three interdepartmental graduate programs. Trainees are selected in a highly competitive process from students whose projects in mentors' laboratories provide training in molecular biophysics. While trainee selection is based on merit, the program is committed to enhancing diversity and has been very successful in recruiting and retaining members of underrepresented groups. Research strengths include x-ray crystallography, macromolecular NMR, molecular electron microscopy, a wide range of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques, single molecule methods, computational biophysics, membrane biophysics, protein folding, nucleic acid structure and ultrastructure, thermodynamics, kinetics and mechanistic enzymology. Supported students who complete the program publish an average of 4.5 papers from their thesis research, including many in high impact journals, and go on to successful careers in academia, industry, government agencies, and private organizations. The heavy involvement of institutions of the Texas Medical Center as well as the University of Texas Medical Branch ensures that students are involved in and exposed to research relevant to human health. The quantitative and interdisciplinary skills that are emphasized in the program are critical for advancing biomedical research and making breakthroughs in our understanding of human disease processes and in the design of new therapeutics and diagnostics.