A Multidisciplinary Stem Cell Training Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys Institute, A Critical Component of the La Jolla Mesa Educational Network

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Grant Award Details

Grant Number:
EDUC4-12813
Investigator(s):
Award Value:
$5,289,413
Status:
Active

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Grant Application Details

Application Title:

A Multidisciplinary Stem Cell Training Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys Institute, A Critical Component of the La Jolla Mesa Educational Network

Public Abstract:
SBP proposes an educational program to train PhD candidates, postdoctoral scientists, & clinical fellows in cutting-edge translational stem cell biology & regenerative medicine. Our faculty direct a large stem cell research & teaching enterprise that comprises biologists, chemists, engineers & clinicians with extensive expertise in stem cell biology & in allied disciplines dedicated to stem cell-based therapies for cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, hematopoietic, skeletal muscle & metabolic disorders. The proposed 5-year program will feature the following: • Training 18 PhD students, 6 postdoctoral trainees & 2 clinical fellows, admitted on a competitive basis. • Mandatory lecture courses on Stem Cell Biology, Ethics, Modern Drug Discovery Technologies. • Courses in Biostatistics & Data Management/Informatics, drug discovery/development, & models of development, degeneration, & disease. • Journal clubs where trainees learn to critically evaluate published research. • Annual Mesa-wide CIRM retreats. • Annual Stem Cell & Disease Symposia, where trainees present their work & meet patients & their families, patient advocates, & interested members of the lay community. • Annual Postdoc/Grad Student Symposia, where trainees present their findings & strengthen their scientific networking. • Southern California Stem Cell Consortium monthly seminar series, where internationally-recognized leaders in stem cell biology present their latest research & interact with trainees. • Bedside-to-Bench Tutorials & Grand Round-like Sessions, where clinical cases are presented, & trainees are exposed to patient examination as well as an interdisciplinary discussion of clinical & biological aspects of diseases. • Professional development activities, including scientific writing & presentation, & leadership Institutional commitment to training is enthusiastic. SBP will support faculty mentors; instrumentation & lab space dedicated to stem cell biology & engineering; automated small molecule, siRNA, & microRNA screening; & proteomics. Research training will emphasize cell engineering, directed differentiation, functional assessments, & drug discovery. The program will offer comprehensive training in stem cell research & allied disciplines to allow trainees, upon completion, to translate basic discoveries to clinical, biotech, & pharmaceutical settings. Our Faculty are dedicated to excellence in research & strongly committed to train the next generation of stem cell scientists. Importantly, this program is one of the hubs in a robust synergistic network of training programs on the La Jolla Mesa (that includes Scripps & UCSD) that will leverage the combined & complementary strengths (efficiently & parsimoniously) of the collaborative powerhouse institutions on the Mesa.
Statement of Benefit to California:
California will benefit from the trainees (pre-doctoral, post-doctoral, & clinical) who graduate this unique, intensive, multi-disciplinary, collaborative, translational Training Program: 1. Patients will benefit from improved therapies. The training program will produce highly-skilled, rigorous stem cell & regenerative medicine scientists & clinicians, who will expand the pool of researchers in California working towards the development of novel therapies for a broad range of diseases (neurologic, cardiac, endocrine, myopathic, oncogenic, aging-related, etc.) 2. Technology transfer to California institutions. The training provided will inevitably enable trainees to make discoveries that can be translated to the clinic and/or to the biotech & pharmaceutical settings, resulting in licensing fees & royalties that will return to the State as well as lowering the costs of health care. In addition, the competitiveness of California’s technology sector will be increased with the potential for creating new jobs. 3. Enhanced ability of California institutions to recruit “marquee” scientists & trainees, as well as companies. Moreover, because of the translational nature of the research & the resulting technology transfer to industry partners, the increased number of highly trained scientists should have a similar impact on our biotechnology and/or pharmaceutical companies.