Year 7
The goal of our CIRM Bridges Program is to prepare students for the technical and intellectual demands needed to keep California at the forefront of innovation in the development and use of stem cells to improve human health. Our program is structured as a 2-year masters in science with an emphasis in stem cell biology. The program provides graduate course work in the broad area of stem cell biology and has a strong focus on hands-on research training. The program has partnered with leading stem cell research universities and institutes in the local area. We have trained over 70 students most of which have obtained excellent positions in large and small biotech companies across California. A significant number of students from our program have decided to continue with their training in PhD programs at premier institutions such as UCSF, Harvard, Stanford, and UC Davis. All of the CIRM Bridges graduates have made a significant impact in the research labs they trained in. Many have continued to work as Senior Research Associates within their research labs to maintain the momentum of their research projects. The CIRM Bridges students have given over 80 poster presentations at local, national, and international meetings. They have also co-authored over 25 publications in the field of stem cell research in prestigious journals such as Nature and Cell Stem Cell. These are very significant achievements when considering that these students are funded for only one-year by CIRM and that this is a 2-year training program.