Stem Cells and Cell Lineage Specification

描述（由申请人提供）：干细胞在大多数多细胞生物的生命周期中起着关键作用。本申请要求每年资助五名博士预科生和两名博士后培训生，参加全校范围的干细胞生物学和细胞谱系规范培训计划。培训的重点是干细胞的细胞、分子和遗传方面的分析，以及干细胞产生的单个细胞谱系的说明。在这一研究领域建立一个专门的培训计划符合哥伦比亚大学旨在加强和扩大其干细胞生物学研究计划的倡议。培训师资队伍由隶属于8个部门和项目的15名首席研究员组成。四名教师是HHMI调查员，四名是初级教师，这反映了初级和高级教师的良好组合。六名教职员工研究脊椎动物神经系统，五名教职员工在简单的，遗传可处理的模式生物中使用各种细胞命运决定，四名教职员工研究神经系统外的干细胞和细胞谱系，即免疫系统，表皮和癌细胞。因此，培训师资队伍不仅反映了哥伦比亚大学杰出神经科学社区的强大横截面，而且反映了在各种不同细胞类型中对该主题的多方面方法，使用了广泛的不同方法和模型系统。博士预科生将从哥伦比亚大学通过一系列强大和选择性的研究生项目录取的候选人中选出，博士后候选人将通过向培训委员会申请选出。专门定制的课程作业、系列研讨会、项目静修和纽约市干细胞讨论小组将确保高质量的培训，并使受训者广泛接触该领域的最新进展。教师和学员将通过各种机制进行密切互动。以干细胞生物学为重点，我们的课程不仅将为学员在科学领域的富有成效的职业生涯做好准备，而且还将为他们将来从事具有明显临床相关性的生物医学科学领域做好准备。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Stem cells play key roles throughout the life cycle of most multicellular organisms. This application requests funds to support five predoctoral and two postdoctoral trainees per year, in a university-wide Training Program on the biology of Stem Cells and Cell Lineage Specification. Training focuses on the analysis of cellular, molecular and genetic aspects of stem cells and the specification of individual cell lineages to which stem cells give rise. The establishment of a specific Training Program in this research area falls in line with initiatives Columbia University aimed strengthening and expanding its research program in stem cell biology. The training faculty consists of a small and distinguished group of 15 principal investigators that are affiliated with eight departments and programs. Reflecting a good mix of junior and senior faculty, four faculty members are HHMI Investigators and four are junior faculty. Six faculty members study the vertebrate nervous system, five faculty members use a variety of cell fate decisions in simple, genetically tractable model organisms and four faculty members study stem cells and cell lineages outside the nervous system, namely the immune system, epidermis and cancer cells. The training faculty, therefore, does not only reflect a strong cross-section of the outstanding neuroscience community here at Columba University, but also reflects a multifaceted approach to the subject in a variety of different cell types, using a wide spectrum of different methodologies and model systems. Predoctoral trainees will be selected from a pool of candidates that have been recruited via acceptance through a number of strong and selective graduate programs at Columbia University and postdoctoral candidates will be selected via application to the training committee. Specifically tailored course work, a seminar series, a program retreat and a New York City Stem Cell Discussion Group will ensure high quality training and broad exposure of the trainees to recent advances in the field. Faculty and trainees will interact intensively through a variety of mechanisms. With its focus on stem cell biology, our Program will not only prepare trainees for a productive career in the sciences but will also give them the opportunity to be prepared for a future engagement in an area of the biomedical sciences that is of obvious clinical relevance.