Year 6/NCE
Under the umbrella of UCSC’s Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells (IBSC), the CIRM Training Program in Systems Biology of Stem Cells has provided training since 2009. Evolving from our first CIRM training program, this Type II program has featured formal and supplemental education for ten trainees—six at the postdoctoral level and four at the predoctoral level. Trainee appointments for both levels last up to three years, with the second and third years contingent on excellent progress. Focused on training scholars from a range of biological and engineering backgrounds, our program has provided trainees an in-depth understanding of the basic biology of stem cells, the skills to use stem cells in their own research, the ability to devise computational approaches to their work, and the ability to employ computational analyses to further their research goals. This program has also provided the tools to make well-informed decisions regarding the ethical and social issues surrounding stem cell research.