Training program in Molecular Biophysics

 描述(由申请者提供)：本申请旨在为我们的分子生物物理学研究生培训计划提供支持。该项目包括来自纽约大学八个系和两个学院的21名教职员工，即医学院和文理学院。这些教师从事广泛的主题工作，试图从根本上了解推动生物过程的分子机制，如生长因子信号、免疫、膜运输和基因转录。这个项目的特点使它在纽约大学是独特的，是对生物物理研究工具的关注，以及该项目吸引学生的量化背景。具体地说，我们的教员使用生物物理方法，如X射线结晶学、核磁共振、电子显微镜、单分子荧光显微镜、质谱学和计算方法，通常与生物化学、分子生物学和遗传学的传统方法相结合。这一领域的博士水平培训对于保持我们国家在定量科学方面的竞争力以及我们在过去半个世纪中作为技术和医学创新领导者的地位非常重要。在过去的四年里，我们的教职员工工作效率很高，出版了近300种出版物。这些教师之间的频繁合作从我们项目的两名或更多作者的20本出版物以及学生共同指导的历史中得到了证明。在过去的十年里，我们项目的88%的学生成功地获得了博士学位(26人中有23人)。其中包括15名在过去4年中获得培训补助金资助毕业的学生。在同样的四年时间里，我们的学生共同撰写了46份出版物，并担任其中26份的第一作者。目前，该项目招收了14名学生，其中4名新生将于2014年8月加入该项目，这反映出在美国东北部竞争非常激烈的学术市场上，该项目连续几年成功招生。我们在招收代表不足的少数族裔或弱势背景的学生方面有着良好的记录，41名学生中有6名(15%)来自这一群体；到目前为止，所有这些学生都成功地获得了博士学位。我们的培训计划结合了早期的教学课程工作，来自项目顾问和论文委员会的强有力的指导，从研究轮换开始到四年的论文研究结束的研究机会，旨在为学生在生物医学科学领域的独立职业生涯做准备。在此期间，学生们定期有机会在各种场所展示他们的工作，从每两周一次的项目会议到全国会议。该计划还包括职业发展培训和实习机会。我们毕业生的职业生涯结果一直很好，有两名大学教员，两名制药公司的小组负责人，其余所有人都从事与中级科学相关的职业，要么是博士后研究员，要么是工业科学家。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application seeks to renew support for our graduate training program in Molecular Biophysics. This program includes 21 faculty from eight departments and two schools at New York University, namely the School of Medicine and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. These faculty work on a wide array of topics in an attempt to derive fundamental understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving biological processes such as growth factor signaling, immunity, membrane transport, and gene transcription. Features of this program that make it unique at NYU is the focus on biophysical research tools and the quantitative background of students attracted to the program. Specifically, our faculty employ biophysical approaches such as X-ray crystallography, NMR, electron microscopy, single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, mass spectrometry, and computational methods, generally in combination with conventional approaches of biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics. Ph.D. level training in this area is important in maintaining the competitive edge of thi country in quantitative sciences and the position we have held as leaders in technological and medical innovation over the last half century. Our faculty have been highly productive with almost 300 publications in the last four years. Frequent collaborations amongst these faculty is evidenced by 20 publications with two or more authors from our program as well as a history of co-mentorship of students. Over the last ten years, 88% of student matriculating in our program have succeeded in obtained Ph.D. degrees (23 out of 26). These include 15 students who have graduated during the past 4 years with training grant support. Over this same 4- year period our students have coauthored 46 publications and served as first author on 26 of these. Currently, fourteen students are enrolled in the program with four new students due to join in August of 2014, reflecting consecutive years of successful recruitment in a very competitive academic market of the northeastern US. We have a good record in recruiting students from under-represented minorities or disadvantaged backgrounds over the life of the program, with 6 out of 41 students (15%) coming from this group; all of these students have so far have succeeded in obtained Ph.D. degrees. Our training program combines early didactic course work, strong mentorship from program advisors and thesis committees, research opportunities that start with research rotations and conclude with four years of thesis research designed to prepare students for independent careers in biomedical science. Throughout this period, students are given regular opportunities to present their work in a variety of venues ranging from bi-weekly program meetings to national meetings. The program also includes career development training and internship opportunities. Career outcome for our graduates have been excellent, with two faculty members at universities, two group leaders at pharmaceutical companies, and all the rest in intermediate science related careers either as postdoctoral fellows or industrial scientists.