Grant Award Details

Training Program Bridging Stem Cell Research with Clinical Applications in Regenerative Medicine
Grant Number: 
EDUC4-12756
Project Objective: 
  • This USC-based training program will support predoctoral, postdoctoral and clinical fellows, and leverages funds from the Broad for additional appointments (3 predoctoral students, 5 postdoctoral fellows, and 3 clinical fellows (plus 3 additional clinical fellows funded by The Broad Foundation). Coursework includes stem cell principles, ethics and regulatory guidelines, and clinician-led discussions. A new academic cGMP facility will provide hands-on training in manufacturing cell and gene therapies. A key feature of the training program is the involvement of clinicians as co-mentors for trainees at all levels. Trainees will participate in an annual retreat, career development workshops, and will have formal interactions with patient advocates and local high school, undergraduate, and master’s students, many from underrepresented groups.

Investigator: 
Award Value: 
$5,000,000
Status: 
Active

Progress Reports

Reporting Period: 
Year 1

Grant Application Details

Application Title: 
  • Training Program Bridging Stem Cell Research with Clinical Applications in Regenerative Medicine
Public Abstract: 
Statement of Benefit to California: 

Millions of Californians suffer from incurable diseases, ranging from arthritis to debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. The promise of stem cell research to identify cures for many of these diseases has never been greater, but significant progress requires an influx of new, talented researchers and clinicians. This program is focused on rigorous training of the next generation of stem cell researchers and clinician-scientists, who will develop and implement the cures of the future. These trainees will become the research faculty who push stem cell research forward at major California universities, as well as the entrepreneurs who start new companies to produce cell and gene therapies for patients. These trainees will continue the enormous growth of stem cell science and regenerative medicine in California, generating billions of dollars of tax revenue and bettering the lives of patients looking for new types of treatments for debilitating disease. The track record of the host institution in trainee development, as well as its well-developed research and academic programs, make it highly qualified to run the proposed training program. The novel focus of the training program in bringing basic researchers and clinicians together reflects the mission of this next phase of CIRM to translate cutting-edge stem cell research into patient therapies.