UCLA Training Program in Stem Cell Biology

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Grant Award Details

Grant Number:
EDUC4-12753
Investigator(s):
Award Value:
$5,373,742
Status:
Active

Progress Reports

Reporting Period:
Year 1 – 19-month period
Reporting Period:
Year 2
Reporting Period:
Year 3

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.

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