The Training Program in Stem Cell Biology (Training Program) takes advantage of the exceptional depth and breadth of the university research environment to provide holistic training in Stem Cell Biology. This Training Program leverages faculty that are among the leaders in the world for this area of biology and cutting-edge technologies and facilities that accelerate discovery. Trainees receive mentorship and guidance to enable them to move on to shape the future application of stem cells towards clinical priorities.
During the 2022-2023 appointment period, 19 predoctoral, postdoctoral and clinical fellows trained and worked in a supportive environment that encouraged individual meetings with program faculty where they gained broad interdisciplinary training, training in mentoring and communications, and were exposed to diverse career options.
The Training Program achieved its goals in its first year by ensuring that pre-doctoral trainees fulfilled the requirements of the home PhD program and demonstrated satisfactory progress on their laboratory research, and wherein all trainees participated in coordinated training grant-specific activities that integrated:
1. 1-on-1 mentoring and development of detailed individual development plans
2. Formal classroom training in Development and Stem Cell Biology, Stem Cell Communications, Stem Cell Ethics, and Intellectual Property and Stem Cells.
3. Participation in a series of available elective courses on modern methods, techniques and approaches, regulatory science, manufacturing and process development, etc.
4. Active participation in Trainee Science Communications Workshops and Outreach Activities
5. Active participation in the university's stem cell seminar series including expanded conversation with renowned visiting faculty speakers during a designated student/trainee lunch.
6. Attendance and poster participation at the university's annual stem cell symposium.
7. Participation at the LABEST 2023 bioscience conference.
Reporting Period:
Year 2
The Training Program in Stem Cell Biology (Training Program) leverages the university's extensive research environment to provide comprehensive training in stem cell biology. The program benefits from world-leading faculty and cutting-edge technologies that facilitate discovery. Trainees receive mentorship and guidance to prepare them for advancing the clinical applications of stem cells.
During the 2023-2024 appointment period, 18 predoctoral, postdoctoral, and clinical fellows trained and worked in a supportive environment. They participated in individual meetings with program faculty, gaining interdisciplinary training, mentoring skills, and exposure to diverse career options.
In its second year, the Training Program met its goals by ensuring predoctoral trainees completed the requirements of their home PhD programs and made satisfactory progress in their laboratory research.
All trainees engaged in coordinated training grant-specific activities that included:
1. One-on-one mentoring and development of detailed individual development plans.
2. Formal classroom training in Development and Stem Cell Biology, Stem Cell Communications, Stem Cell Ethics, and Intellectual Property and Stem Cells.
3. Elective courses on modern methods, techniques, approaches, regulatory science, and process development.
4. Active participation in Trainee Science Communications Workshops and Outreach Activities.
5. Participation in the university's stem cell seminar series, including discussions with renowned visiting faculty during designated student/trainee lunches.
6. Attendance and poster presentations at the university's annual stem cell symposium.
7. Participation in the LABEST 2024 bioscience conference.
Reporting Period:
Year 3
The Training Program in Stem Cell Biology continues to harness the university's robust research ecosystem to deliver comprehensive education in the field. Benefiting from world-renowned faculty and state-of-the-art technologies, the program fosters scientific discovery and provides trainees with expert mentorship to accelerate the translation of stem cell research into clinical advancements.
During the 2024-2025 appointment period, 19 predoctoral, postdoctoral, and clinical fellows thrived in a supportive training environment. They actively engaged in individual consultations with program faculty, fostering interdisciplinary knowledge, mentorship capabilities, and awareness of diverse career pathways.
Entering its third year, the Training Program successfully achieved its objectives by ensuring predoctoral trainees remained on track to complete their PhD requirements and demonstrated strong progress in their laboratory investigations.
Throughout the year, all trainees actively participated in a coordinated set of training grant-specific activities, including:
1. Dedicated one-on-one mentoring and the development of comprehensive individual development plans.
2. Formal instruction in core areas such as Development and Stem Cell Biology, Stem Cell Communications, Stem Cell Ethics, Patient Engagement, and Intellectual Property & Stem Cells.
3. A range of elective courses covering cutting-edge methodologies, techniques, research approaches, regulatory science, and process development.
4. Active involvement in Trainee Science Communications Workshops and public Outreach Activities.
5. Engagement with the university's stem cell seminar series, featuring dedicated interactions with distinguished visiting faculty during student/trainee lunches.
6. Attendance and poster presentations of their research at the university's annual stem cell symposium.
7. Participation in the LABEST 2025 bioscience conference.
Grant Application Details
Application Title:
UCLA Training Program in Stem Cell Biology
Public Abstract:
The Training Program in Stem Cell Biology (Training Program) will take advantage of the exceptional depth and breadth of the university research environment to provide a holistic training in Stem Cell Biology. This Training Program will leverage faculty that are among the leaders in the world for this area of biology and cutting-edge technologies and facilities that accelerate discovery. Trainees will receive mentorship and guidance to enable them to move on to shape the future application of stem cells towards clinical priorities. In addition, trainees will work in a supportive environment that encourages individual meetings with any of the program faculty, and will be able to gain broad interdisciplinary training, training in mentoring and communications, and be exposed to diverse career options. The trainee's faculty mentor plays the central advising role, and mentors are selected based on their history of training fellows in addition to the quality of their research, productivity, and funding status. Finally, the program director and the executive committee will maintain an open-door policy and meet with trainees on short notice. Their considerable mentoring experience in their own laboratories or as training grant directors and presence on many thesis committees have provided them with significant experience in guiding trainees at all levels. Committing resources to the study of stem cell biology will accelerate novel treatment strategies to improve the human condition. Importantly, this new Training Program will provide resources to learn the latest methods and stem cell models, as well as sections on Ethics, Regulatory, Communications Intellectual Property, Development. Fellows will be exposed to cutting-edge approaches from other fields, to ensure they are fully versed in the science behind stem cell biology, new technologies, can perform such work under the highest ethical and regulatory standards, and be able to disseminate and educate the public on the importance and impact of their work. Furthermore, this program will make diversity a priority. The Training Program will recruit trainees from under served backgrounds and under served scientific disciplines, as we feel this is the best way to make innovative insights that not only drive the field forward, but also lead to important clinical advances. The focus of this Training Program is a deliberate effort to educate a new generation of scientists to drive the promise and implications of this critical emerging field of human biology into the future and effectively identify and address the field’s limitations.
Statement of Benefit to California:
The Training Program in Stem Cell Biology will provide trainees with opportunities to study the latest advances in stem cell biology, development and disease modelling, present their own work in a setting in which they can obtain constructive criticism, interact with their peers and training faculty in formal and informal forums, and meet leaders in the field. Our goal is to produce scientists at the Predoctoral, Postdoctoral and Clinical levels that are fully versed in their primary scientific discipline and fluent in the whole panoply of issues that arise in the study of stem cell biology. We expect our trainees to become leaders in the field of stem cell biology that are well-versed in stem cell ethics and entrepreneurship, and communicate effectively about their work. As a result, we have every expectation that our trainees will be able to fully translate stem cell discovery into stem cell therapy. Data suggests that the majority of our trainees stay in California to continue their careers. As a result, this program will contribute to the enrichment of the scientific community in California, and create a cadre of scientists well-versed in issues particular to stem cell biology such as disease modeling, ethical use of stem cells, and clinical translation of stem cell technology. As California becomes a hub for stem cell biology, the Training Program in Stem Cell Biology will serve to promote the latest technologies and advances to create viable clinical therapies while doing so in an equitable and ethical manner.
