The CIRM Training Grant at UC San Diego is a collaboration spanning nearly every department at the UC San Diego campus, as well as our partners at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology and the Salk Institute for Biomedical Sciences. Upon notice of award, a multidisciplinary Steering Committee developed a plan to ensure a diverse, scientific trainee cohort at our campus. The call for abstracts was drafted and circulated to both academic departments and advocacy organizations around the San Diego Research Mesa in December 2021. Our call drew in 70 total abstracts for 12 fellowship spots, creating a very competitive selection process. Five graduate students, five postdoctoral fellows and two clinical fellows were ultimately selected by the steering committee for the first year. The awarded fellows came from a variety of departments at UC San Diego, including Pediatrics, Bioengineering, Neurosciences, Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Pathology and Psychiatry. A fellowship was also awarded to the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology.
The first year cohort has already authored six high impact publications and presented their work all across California. Several fellows attended the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA on June 15, 2022 and three fellows had abstracts selected for poster presentations. A graduate level class originally created for the first iteration of the CIRM Training Grant, CMM 250, was attended by all UC San Diego fellows in order to learn the cutting edge work being done by stem cell scientists in California. UCSD CIRM fellows actively participate in a program of special lab courses, didactic courses, research seminars, and journal clubs to present findings, build relationships, hone professionalism, and develop interdisciplinary contacts. A hands-on, stem cell methods class for multiple training levels will be offered semi-annually to CIRM Trainees free of charge, which was developed by the UCSD Stem Cell Program and a local industry partner.
The UC San Diego Training Grant steering committee has encouraged extensive collaboration with the two additional CIRM Training Grants awarded in San Diego; housed at Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and Sanford Burnham Prebys. Together, the three programs are jointly hosting a retreat at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, which is a CIRM Major Facility and the base of operations for the UC San Diego Stem Cell Program. Fellows who are further in their research careers are selected to present twenty minute talks and all non-speaking trainees participate in the poster session at the end of the day. The retreat is an excellent venue to foster collaborations between the institutions and give valuable presentation experience to the mentees. The Sanford Burnham and Scripps Research trainees both fully participate in CMM 250, attend the hands on stem cell training and present posters at the Sanford Stem Cell Symposium.
The new CIRM Training Grant cohort joins an extremely successful group of past trainees who have gone on to successful careers in academia, industry and the clinic.
Reporting Period:
Year 2
The CIRM Training Grant at UC San Diego is a collaboration spanning nearly every department at the UC San Diego campus, as well as our partners at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology and the Salk Institute for Biomedical Sciences. Upon notice of award, a multidisciplinary Steering Committee developed a plan to ensure a diverse, scientific trainee cohort at our campus. The call for abstracts was drafted and circulated to both academic departments and advocacy organizations around the San Diego Research Mesa in December 2021. Our call drew in 70 total abstracts for 12 fellowship spots, creating a very competitive selection process. Five graduate students, five postdoctoral fellows and two clinical fellows were ultimately selected by the steering committee for the first year. The awarded fellows came from a variety of departments at UC San Diego, including Pediatrics, Bioengineering, Neurosciences, Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Pathology and Psychiatry. A fellowship was also awarded to the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology.
The first year cohort has already authored six high impact publications and presented their work all across California. Our entire cohort of fellows attended the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Annual Meeting in Boston, MA on June 14, 2023 and eleven fellows had abstracts selected for poster presentations. A graduate level class originally created for the first iteration of the CIRM Training Grant, CMM 250, was attended by all UC San Diego fellows in order to learn the cutting edge work being done by stem cell scientists in California. UCSD CIRM fellows actively participate in a program of special lab courses, didactic courses, research seminars, and journal clubs to present findings, build relationships, hone professionalism, and develop interdisciplinary contacts. A hands-on, stem cell methods class for multiple training levels will be offered semi-annually to CIRM Trainees free of charge, which was developed by the UCSD Stem Cell Program and a local industry partner.
The UC San Diego Training Grant steering committee has encouraged extensive collaboration with the two additional CIRM Training Grants awarded in San Diego; housed at Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and Sanford Burnham Prebys. Together, the three programs are jointly hosting a retreat at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, which is a CIRM Major Facility and the base of operations for the UC San Diego Stem Cell Program. Fellows who are further in their research careers are selected to present twenty minute talks and all non-speaking trainees participate in the poster session at the end of the day. The retreat is an excellent venue to foster collaborations between the institutions and give valuable presentation experience to the mentees. The Sanford Burnham and Scripps Research trainees both fully participate in CMM 250, attend the hands on stem cell training and present posters at the Sanford Stem Cell Symposium. The retreat in December 2022 was held at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine and organized by UC San Diego, the second year retreat will be hosted by Sanford Burnham Prebys on January 17, 2024 and the third year retreat will be hosted by the Scripps Research Institute before rotating back to UC San Diego.
Reporting Period:
Year 3
The CIRM Training Grant at UC San Diego is a collaborative initiative that spans multiple departments across the UC San Diego campus, in addition to our partners at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology and the Salk Institute for Biomedical Sciences. Upon receipt of the award, a multidisciplinary Steering Committee was formed to ensure a diverse and scientifically robust cohort of trainees. Applications were highly competitive, with 70 abstracts submitted for just 12 fellowship positions. Ultimately, the Steering Committee selected a cohort comprising five graduate students, five postdoctoral fellows, and two clinical fellows for the first year. Awardees came from a wide range of departments at UC San Diego, including Pediatrics, Bioengineering, Neurosciences, Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Pathology, and Psychiatry. In addition, a fellowship was awarded to a researcher at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology.
The year one fellowship cohort authored six high-impact publications and presented their research at multiple venues across California. Several fellows attended the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Annual Meeting in Germany, where fellows had abstracts selected for poster presentations. As part of their training, all fellows participated in CMM 250, a graduate-level course designed to showcase the cutting-edge stem cell research being conducted throughout California. This course, originally created for the inaugural cohort of the CIRM Training Grant, has become an essential part of the fellows' educational experience. In addition to CMM 250, UC San Diego CIRM fellows engage in a comprehensive program that includes special lab courses, didactic sessions, research seminars, and journal clubs. These opportunities help the fellows present their findings, develop interdisciplinary relationships, enhance their professionalism, and foster a collaborative environment. A hands-on stem cell methods class, developed by the UC San Diego Stem Cell Program in partnership with a local industry collaborator, is offered semi-annually to CIRM trainees at no cost.
The UC San Diego CIRM Training Grant Steering Committee also fosters collaboration with the other two CIRM-funded training programs in the San Diego area, based at Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and Sanford Burnham Prebys. Together, the three institutions host an annual retreat at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, a CIRM Major Facility and the home base of the UC San Diego Stem Cell Program. The retreat serves as an excellent venue for trainees to present their research in both oral and poster formats. Advanced fellows are selected to deliver 20-minute talks, while all trainees are invited to present posters. This retreat is a valuable opportunity for cross-institutional collaboration and provides essential presentation experience for the trainees.
Additionally, fellows from Sanford Burnham Prebys and the Scripps Research Institute fully participated in CMM 250, attended the hands-on stem cell training sessions, and presented posters at the Sanford Stem Cell Symposium, further enriching the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of the CIRM Training Program at UC San Diego. Current cohorts are progressing in fields as diverse as stem-cell based modeling of inflammatory bowel disease, drug discovery, pediatric leukemia, hematopoietic stem cell fitness and aging, Alzheimer’s Disease, SETD5 syndrome, and myeloma. Trainees will meet with affiliate CIRM EDUC4 institutes in December 2024 to give oral and poster presentation in front of 40+ peers and mentors. Furthering our mission to advance stem cell research discoveries through strategic educational outreach that starts in the state of California and benefit the world.
Reporting Period:
Year 4
During this reporting period, the UC San Diego CIRM EDUC4 Training Program continued to strengthen California’s stem cell and regenerative medicine workforce by providing advanced research training, mentorship, and hands-on laboratory experience to a new generation of scientists and physician–scientists. This program brings together departments across UC San Diego and partners at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, Scripps Research Institute, Sanford Burnham Prebys and the Salk Institute, creating a vibrant, collaborative environment for trainees.
The current cohort was selected through a highly competitive process and includes graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and clinical fellows from fields such as pediatrics, bioengineering, neuroscience, cellular and molecular medicine, pathology, and psychiatry. Over the past year, these trainees made meaningful scientific and professional progress. They contributed to several peer-reviewed publications and shared their discoveries at local, national, and international scientific meetings, including the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Annual Meeting in Hong Kong.
Trainees participated in a wide range of educational activities designed to build both technical expertise and career skills. These included a graduate-level stem cell biology course, hands-on methods workshops, research seminars, journal clubs, and professional development sessions focused on communication, collaboration, and responsible research practices. Together, these offerings help prepare each scholar for a successful career in the regenerative medicine field.
A key strength of the program is its emphasis on collaboration. Trainees joined colleagues from other CIRM-funded programs at Scripps Research and Sanford Burnham Prebys for an annual retreat at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine. There, scholars presented their research, participated in poster sessions and oral talks, and built relationships that support future scientific partnerships.
Current research projects within the UC San Diego CIRM EDUC4 cohort span a wide range of human health challenges, including stem cell based modeling of inflammatory bowel disease, pediatric leukemia, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, hematopoietic stem cell aging, rare genetic conditions like SETD5 syndrome, and new approaches to cancer therapy. Recent trainee-associated publications further advance these areas, including work showing that intestinal stem cell derived organoids retain inflammatory “memory” that may drive relapse in IBD; studies revealing that hematopoietic stem cells undergo bidirectional fate transitions during aging; discoveries identifying age-related loss of ELOVL2-dependent B-cell progenitors; and emerging preclinical models that link metabolic and epigenetic regulation to immune and blood-cell aging. Trainees have shared these findings at multiple interdisciplinary conferences and will continue presenting their work at upcoming annual Retreat with affiliate CIRM EDUC4 institutes in December 2025.
Across all these efforts, UC San Diego CIRM scholars are contributing to both foundational discoveries and emerging translational advances in regenerative medicine. Their work reflects California’s commitment to scientific innovation and helps ensure that the next generation of stem cell researchers is well-prepared to improve human health.
Grant Application Details
Application Title:
Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Training Grant at UCSD III
Public Abstract:
Our proposed training program serves as a catalyst and foundation for expanding stem cell biology efforts at UC San Diego. We are aided in our goals by the unique La Jolla scientific community, which has become a premier location in the world to pursue innovative biomedical research. We have an unusually interdisciplinary and highly collaborative scientific community where research and training collaborations have flourished across traditional institutional and scientific boundaries. Our goal is to train basic scientists, physician-scientists, and bioengineers who will pursue innovative stem cell and regenerative medicine interdisciplinary research driven by their understanding of Basic and Clinical Sciences merged with advanced engineering and bioinformatic methods. Trainees at UC San Diego will have access to state-of-the-art stem cells and gene therapy facilities, plus the opportunity to witness how basic fundamental discoveries can be translated into the clinics. In addition, UCSD is unique for its combination of assets that are committed to stem cell and regenerative medicine research, many of which qualify as "one of the first" in the nation, including i) a stand-alone Division of Regenerative Medicine within the Department of Medicine; ii) an active outpatient facility at the Koman Outpatient Pavilion and an inpatient capacity with the Cell and Regenerative Medicine Service within the Medical Center system; iii) one of the original Alpha Stem Cell Clinics for clinical research, and iv) an existing course in Translational Regenerative Medicine that can contribute to a Master’s Degree in clinical research or a certificate in translational research. We also give substantial exposure to quantitative, ethical, and theoretical approaches to biological and medical problems in regenerative medicine, including a collaboration with our new School of Public Health to enhance the positive impact and accessibility of new therapies for patients across broad socioeconomic and ethnic groups. Our approach is to build on each trainee’s foundation of basic or clinical knowledge and provide: 1) Rigorous education in the principles and applications of pluripotent and adult stem biology in humans and model organisms; 2) Research training in evolutionary, computational, and bioengineering methods that can use stem cells to attack problems of basic and clinical science and eventually develop new therapies; and 3) Education in the ethical, legal, social, and economic issues associated with stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Thus, future stem cell trainees at UCSD are positioned to become leaders in this field in the upcoming years.
Statement of Benefit to California:
This training opportunity will bring the following benefits to California:
1-Training the next generation of stem cell biologists. The strength of our commitment to research training, the value of our experience, and the positive effect of strong mentoring is manifest in the success of our past group of CIRM trainees, who have published an outstanding volume of high-impact papers in the field, gaining excellent careers in industry, clinical endeavors, and academia, with many becoming faculty members themselves, thus extending the impact of the training program to new generations of scientists. Moreover, many of these past trainees have also received other prestigious prizes, awards, and fellowships, including the Hertzberg-Schecter Prize for Stem Cell Research, the Product Development Breakthrough Award, the Larry Hillblon Foundation fellowship, NIH K99/R00s, Ruth L. Krischetein fellowship, best dissertation thesis, best poster in meetings, etc. We have a total of 87 past CIRM trainees from 49 different UCSD mentors. Of all trainees, 57% of these were women, and 81% continue researching in the USA (including 72% in California).
2-Health and Economic Benefits. The work from our CIRM trainees has led to new treatment and several ongoing clinical trials (including spinal cord injury, different types of cancer, Alzheimer's Disease). Moreover, the work from our trainees becomes inventions and patents, many being licensed by our faculty-based spin-offs based in California.
3-Public communication and outreach. Californians will also benefit from our proposed dissemination and outreach activities. Our strong partnership with UCTV has resulted in unique collaborations like Stem Cell Science with Alysson Muotri, to produce high-quality, easy-to-understand, 12-15 minutes videos about stem cells and their applications. To effectively reach diverse populations, including non-English-speaking people and racial and ethnic minorities, these episodes are translated into both Spanish and Portuguese. A pilot video of this channel received the 2018 Telly Award for excellence in science communication and, another episode received another Telly Award in 2019. This initiative alone brought in over 1 million views across its first season and consistently ranked in the top position for programming across all of the Universities of California. We also established the “Closer Look” online series, aimed to stimulate expert conversation between a basic scientist and a clinician about emerging stem cell research and clinical strategies tackling a variety of diseases. This has become a trendy venue for our scientists to meet and answer questions from the public. The average attendance is about 300 people by zoom. All the videos are recorded and made available on YouTube. We will also reinstitute an annual Stem Cell Day celebration and bring trainees to present their work to the public.
