During the past year, four (4) predoctoral and four (4) postdoctoral trainees were selected for funding after evaluation by an external selection committee from an applicant pool of fourteen (14) and six (6) qualified applicants, respectively. In the first year, fellows focused on their stem cell research projects, while also engaging in career development and outreach activities. Trainees presented their research in a variety of formats and locations, including internal journal clubs (i.e. Stem Cell Club; Genomics Club); the Mammary Gland Gordon conference; the International Society for Stem Cell Research conference (ISSCR); The Retinal Ganglion Cell (RGC) Repopulation, Stem cell Transplantation, and Optic Nerve Regeneration (RReSTORe) consortium; and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) conference. Some trainees completed coursework in their first program year, including Engineering Stem Cells (BME177), Epigenetics (BIOL205), or Career Planning (BIOL290), while all mentors participated in at least one mentor training workshop. Fellows also participated in several patient and healthcare engagement activities and community outreach and education activities. These included two Treehouse Childhood Cancer Initiative events: the Community DNA Extraction and “Brave the Shave” fundraiser; Jacob’s Heart “Camp Heart and Hands”; UCSC Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) Community outreach; Pediatric Cancer Patient Community outreach; and “Science on Tap”, a public lecture series at the Museum of Art and History. Research, activities, and classes will continue as planned in the second year of the program, with additional courses and opportunities offered. Interest in the program remains strong, with fourteen (14) pre- and four (4) post-doctoral applications received for four and one new training slots, respectively. An in-person kick-off meeting to facilitate planning, collaboration, and networking for the upcoming year for both Year 1 and Year 2 Cohorts is planned for January. During past program funding (2006 – 2015), the UCSC CIRM program produced forty-two (42) program alumni consisting of nineteen (19) predoctoral and twenty three (23) postdoctoral trainees. Combined with the 2022 and 2023 cohorts, the UCSC CIRM program has funded or committed funding for a total of 27 pre- and 28 post-doctoral trainees.