Curriculum Development and Implementation of Stem Cell Technology and Laboratory Management Emphasis in an Established MS Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Program at California State University Channel Islands and Co-development of a GE Course on Stem Cel

California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) is the only public university in Ventura County, a region that is rapidly developing into a biotechnology hub. Currently, no research university serves this area. Since its inception in 2001, CSUCI has established one of the most successful professional science master’s (PSM) degree programs in biotechnology and an innovative MS Biotechnology and MBA dual degree program within the CSU system with a robust enrollment of 100 plus students. The Stem Cell Technology and Lab Management (SCTLM) emphasis within the MS degree program was implemented in 2009 after CSUCI received a 3-year Bridges award from CIRM. The purpose of this emphasis was to provide intensive training to students in the field of stem cell technology via engagement in cutting-edge stem cell courses and a mandatory 1-year internship at a CIRM approved facility. Currently we are completing our 4th year in this emphasis and have successfully graduated a total of 44 students since 2009, 30 of whom received funding from CIRM for their internships. Our fourth cohort of students (2012-2013) will complete the internships in September, 2013 and we are in the process of placing our fifth cohort of students (2013-2014) at a variety of institutes to commence the internships in September, 2013. Our training program requires students enrolled in the SCTLM emphasis to complete a set of four common core courses as well as six required courses focusing on molecular cell biology, bioinformatics, genomics and proteomics, stem cell culture techniques, cell culture facility management, regenerative medicine, project management, biotech law & regulation and an internship. These courses are being offered in various formats-in-classroom, online, seminar, full lecture/lab, an intensive 1-week training and 1-year internship and thus enable students to experience the full benefits of a diverse educational regimen. In addition, students are also required to complete 1-2 elective courses from a pool of 10 electives offered. The most valuable experience for the students is the 1-year internship whereby they acquire skills in stem cell techniques, work on an original independent research project, form collaborations with other scientists in the field, network with peers and project themselves as skilled researchers in stem cell technology. CSUCI has established agreements with a plethora of host institutions that conduct world-class research such as the Scripps Research Institute, the Beckman Center, UCSB, USC, UCR, UCSD, UCSC, Cedars-Sinai Center, the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Celavie Biosciences, Sanford Burnham Institute, Stanford and Western university. The CIRM Bridges award has provided us the opportunity to avail of these institutions as training sites which has proven to be an excellent platform for the students to fulfill the unmet need for highly qualified technical personnel in stem cell research technology. Interns have frequently been offered employment by these host institutions after finishing their internships and this reflects the confidence that researchers are placing in our interns. Our CIRM Bridges training grant program received a renewal until 2015. As a result, our fourth cohort (2012-2013) of students was admitted into the SCTLM emphasis in June 2012 and commenced the 1-year internship in early October, 2012. The internship will end in September, 2013 following which the interns will file their research thesis and present their work at our MS Biotechnology Colloquium in fall, 2013; these interns will also present their work at the CIRM Bridges meeting in July, 2013. Before being placed at their internship sites, interns were required to complete a 7-day intensive Stem Cell Training course offered at USC in August, 2012. Additionally, interns also completed more than 400 hours of coursework and learned about the research of stem cell experts through a seminar course that typically invites 10-12 researchers from CIRM funded institutions. Overall, the curriculum within this emphasis thus offers students a variety of options to expand their knowledge and lab skills in stem cell sciences. The training program has directly made a key contribution to the stem cell efforts supported by the people of California as evidenced by our interns’ interest in pursuing future research in the stem cell areas either via seeking employment in the R & D sectors of stem cell based biotech companies or via applying to a PhD program. Our interns have spoken at community events held on our campus and increased the transparency of the SCTLM emphasis and CIRM funded research. This was clearly evidenced by the fact that several undergraduate students have started expressing a deep interest in the stem cell fields and are intent on exploring similar internship opportunities. This training program made possible by the CIRM Bridges award has gained tremendous popularity at CSUCI and continues to garner wide interest.

Public Summary California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) is the only public university in Ventura County, a region that is rapidly developing into a biotechnology hub. Currently, no research university serves this area. Since its inception in 2001, CSUCI has established one of the most successful professional science master’s degree programs in biotechnology and an innovative MS Biotechnology and MBA dual degree program within the CSU system with a robust enrollment of 100 plus students. The Stem Cell Technology and Lab Management (SCTLM) emphasis within the MS degree program was implemented in 2009 after receiving a 3-year Bridges award from CIRM. The purpose of this emphasis was to provide intensive training to students in the field of stem cell technology via engagement in cutting-edge stem cell courses and a mandatory 1-year internship at a CIRM approved facility. Currently we are completing our 5th year in this emphasis and have successfully graduated a total of 40 CIRM grant funded students since 2009. Our fifth cohort of students (2013-2014) will complete the internships in September, 2014 and we are in the process of placing our sixth cohort of students (2014-2015) at a variety of institutes to commence the internships in September, 2014. Our training program requires students enrolled in the SCTLM emphasis to complete a set of four common core courses as well as six required courses focusing on molecular cell biology, bioinformatics, genomics and proteomics, stem cell culture techniques, cell culture facility management, regenerative medicine, project management, biotech law & regulation and an internship. These courses are being offered in various formats-in-classroom, online, seminar, full lecture/lab, an intensive 1-week training and 1-year internship and thus enable students to experience the full benefits of a diverse educational regimen. In addition, students are also required to complete 1-2 elective courses from a pool of 10 electives offered. The most valuable experience for the students is the 1-year internship whereby they acquire skills in stem cell techniques, work on an original independent research project, form collaborations with other scientists in the field, network with peers and project themselves as skilled researchers in stem cell technology. CSUCI has established agreements with a plethora of host institutions that conduct world-class research such as the Scripps Research Institute, the Beckman Center, UC Davis, UCSB, USC, UCR, UCSD, UCSC, Cedars-Sinai Center, the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Celavie Biosciences, Sanford Burnham Institute, Stanford and Western university. The CIRM Bridges award has provided us the opportunity to avail of these institutions as training sites which has proven to be an excellent platform for the students to fulfill the unmet need for highly qualified technical personnel in stem cell research technology. Interns have frequently been offered employment by these host institutions after finishing their internships and this reflects the confidence that researchers are placing in our interns. Our CIRM Bridges training grant program received a renewal until 2015. Our fifth cohort (2013-2014) of students was admitted into the SCTLM emphasis in June 2013 and commenced the 1-year internship in early October, 2013. The internship will end in September, 2014 following which the interns will file their research thesis and present their work at our MS Biotechnology Colloquium in fall, 2014; these interns will also present their work at the CIRM Bridges meeting in July, 2014. Before being placed at their internship sites, interns were required to complete a 7-day intensive Stem Cell Training course offered at USC in August, 2013. Additionally, interns also completed more than 400 hours of coursework and learned about the research of stem cell experts through a seminar course that typically invites 10-12 researchers from CIRM funded institutions. Overall, the curriculum within this emphasis thus offers students a variety of options to expand their knowledge and lab skills in stem cell sciences. The training program has directly made a key contribution to the stem cell efforts supported by the people of California as evidenced by our interns’ interest in pursuing future research in the stem cell areas either via seeking employment in the R & D sectors (70% of the interns since 2009 are currently employed) or via applying to a PhD program. Our interns have spoken at community events held on our campus and increased the transparency of the SCTLM emphasis and CIRM funded research. In addition to several undergraduate students expressing a deep interest in the stem cell fields, an enormous interest has also been shown by our international students, who intend to commit themselves to the California workforce. This training program made possible by the CIRM Bridges award has gained tremendous popularity at CSUCI and continues to garner wide interest.

California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) is the only public university in Ventura County, a region that is rapidly developing into a biotechnology hub. Currently, no research university serves this area. Since its inception in 2001, CSUCI has established one of the most successful professional science master’s degree programs in biotechnology and an innovative MS Biotechnology and MBA dual degree program within the CSU system with a robust enrollment of 100 plus students. The Stem Cell Technology and Lab Management (SCTLM) emphasis within the MS degree program was implemented in 2009 after receiving a 3-year Bridges award from CIRM. The purpose of this emphasis was to provide intensive training to students in the field of stem cell technology via engagement in cutting-edge stem cell courses and a mandatory 1-year internship at a CIRM approved facility. The grant was renewed in 2012 for another three years until 2015, and recently we received a 1-year No Cost extension until 2016. Currently we are completing our 6th year in this emphasis and have successfully graduated a total of 63 students since 2009, 50 of whom received funding from CIRM for their internships. Our sixth cohort of students (2014-2015) will complete the internships in September, 2015, bringing the number of graduates to 75 (60 receiving the CIRM award). We are in the process of placing our seventh cohort of students (2015-2016) at a variety of institutes to commence the internships in September, 2015. Our training program requires students enrolled in the SCTLM emphasis to complete a set of four common core courses as well as six required courses focusing on molecular cell biology, bioinformatics, genomics and proteomics, stem cell culture techniques, cell culture facility management, regenerative medicine, project management, biotech law & regulation and an internship. These courses are being offered in various formats-in-classroom, online, seminar, full lecture/lab and 1-year internship and thus allow students to experience the full benefits of a diverse educational regimen. In addition, students are also required to complete 3-4 elective courses from a pool of 21 electives offered. As a result of this roadmap, interns complete more than 400 hours of coursework and also learn about the research of stem cell experts through a seminar course that typically invites 10-12 researchers from CIRM funded institutions. Before the start of the internship students are required to complete a week long intensive stem cell training workshop offered at USC, typically in August. The most valuable experience for the students is the 1-year internship whereby they acquire skills in stem cell techniques, work on an original independent research project, establish collaborations with other scientists in the field, network with peers and project themselves as skilled researchers in stem cell technology. Thus, the curriculum within this emphasis consistently offers students a variety of options to expand their knowledge and lab skills in stem cell sciences. CSUCI has established a mentor database from a plethora of host institutions that conduct world-class research such as the Scripps Research Institute, Salk Institute, the Beckman Center at City of Hope, Loma Linda university, Stanford, UCSB, USC, UCR, UCSD, UCSC, UCSF, UCD, UC Merced, Cedars-Sinai Center, the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Sanford Burnham Institute, Stanford and Western university. The CIRM Bridges award has provided us the opportunity to avail of these institutions as training sites which has proven to be an excellent platform for the students to fulfill the unmet need for highly qualified technical personnel in stem cell research technology. Interns have frequently been offered employment by these host institutions after finishing their internships and this reflects the confidence that researchers are placing in our interns. Our current cohort of 2014-2015 interns will complete their internships in September, 2015 following which the interns will file their final research reports and present their work at our MS Biotechnology Colloquium in fall, 2015; these interns will also present their work at the CIRM Bridges meeting in July, 2015. Graduating interns tend to continue their scientific endeavors and fulfill the need for stem cell biologists in California. The training program has directly made a key contribution to the stem cell efforts supported by the people of California as evidenced by our interns’ interest in pursuing future research in the stem cell areas either via seeking employment in the R & D sectors of stem cell based biotech companies or via applying to a PhD program. Our interns have spoken at community events held on our campus and increased the transparency of the SCTLM emphasis and CIRM funded research. This training program made possible by the CIRM Bridges award has gained tremendous popularity at CSUCI and continues to garner wide interest.

California State University Channel Islands (CI) is the only public university in Ventura County, a region that is rapidly developing into a biotechnology hub. Currently, no research university serves this area. Since its inception in 2001, CI has established one of the most successful professional science master’s degree programs in biotechnology and an innovative MS Biotechnology and MBA dual degree program within the CSU system with a robust enrollment of 100 plus students. The Stem Cell Technology and Lab Management (SCTLM) emphasis within the MS degree program was implemented in 2009 after receiving a 3-year Bridges award from CIRM. The purpose of this emphasis was to provide intensive training to students in the field of stem cell technology via engagement in cutting-edge stem cell courses and a mandatory 1-year internship at a CIRM approved facility. The grant was renewed in 2012 for another three years until 2015, and in 2015 we received a 1-year No Cost extension until 2016. We have successfully completing our 7th year in this emphasis and have successfully graduated a total of 83 students since 2009, 70 of whom received funding from CIRM for their internships. Our training program requires students enrolled in the SCTLM emphasis to complete a set of four common core courses as well as six required courses focusing on molecular cell biology, bioinformatics, genomics and proteomics, stem cell culture techniques, cell culture facility management, regenerative medicine, project management, biotech law & regulation and an internship. These courses are being offered in various formats-in-classroom, online, seminar, full lecture/lab and 1-year internship and thus allow students to experience the full benefits of a diverse educational regimen. In addition, students are also required to complete 3-4 elective courses from a pool of 21 electives offered. As a result of this roadmap, interns complete more than 400 hours of coursework and also learn about the research of stem cell experts through a seminar course that typically invites 10-12 researchers from CIRM funded institutions. Before the start of the internship students are required to complete a week long intensive stem cell training workshop offered at USC, typically in August. The most valuable experience for the students is the 1-year internship whereby they acquire skills in stem cell techniques, work on an original independent research project, establish collaborations with other scientists in the field, network with peers and project themselves as skilled researchers in stem cell technology. Thus, the curriculum within this emphasis consistently offers students a variety of options to expand their knowledge and lab skills in stem cell sciences. CI has established a mentor database from a plethora of host institutions that conduct world-class research such as the Scripps Research Institute, Salk Institute, the Beckman Center at City of Hope, Loma Linda university, Stanford, UCSB, USC, UCR, UCSD, UCSC, UCSF, UCD, Cedars-Sinai Center, the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Sanford Burnham Institute and Stanford. The CIRM award has provided us the opportunity to avail of these institutions as training sites which has proven to be an excellent platform for the students to fulfill the unmet need for highly qualified technical personnel in stem cell research technology. Interns have frequently been offered employment by these institutions following their internships reflecting the confidence that researchers are placing in our interns. Our last cohort of 2015-2016 interns recently completed their internships in September, 2016 and presented their work at our MS Biotechnology Colloquium on September 24; these interns also presented their work at the CIRM Bridges meeting in July, 2016. Graduating interns tend to continue their scientific endeavors and fulfill the need for stem cell biologists in California. The training program has directly made a key contribution to the stem cell efforts supported by the people of California as evidenced by our interns’ interest in pursuing future research in the stem cell areas either via seeking employment in the R & D sectors of stem cell based biotech companies or via applying to a PhD program. Our interns have spoken at community events held on our campus and increased the transparency of the SCTLM emphasis and CIRM funded research. This training program made possible by the CIRM Bridges award has gained tremendous popularity at CI and continues to garner wide interest. Role of PI: Nitika Parmar is serving as the Program Director of this Training Grant program at CI and is overseeing all activities related to the implementation of the grant activities, including the application procedures for the Stem Cell Technology and Lab Management emphasis within our MS Biotech degree program; recruitment, selection and placement of interns; communication with research mentors; hiring of student assistants; travel, and site visits.