PROJECT SUMMARY
This application seeks support for four highly qualified predoctoral candidates committed to innovative
research careers in the area of obesity, metabolic disorders and nutrition. Our training program brings together
two well-established PhD programs at Tufts University, the Biochemical & Molecular Nutrition (BMN) Program
at the Gerald J and Dorothy R Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and the Cell, Molecular &
Developmental Biology (CMDB) Program at the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences. Both
programs reside on Tufts’ Health Sciences Campus and each will contribute strong support through
infrastructure for graduate admissions, student services, registration and tracking of academic progress and
importantly, financial support for students. Students who have been admitted to the BMN or CMDB PhD
programs, completed their first year of training with distinction, joined one of the training program faculty’s
laboratory groups, selected a thesis topic within the scope of the training program, and stated their intent to
pursue a career as a research scientists will be eligible for appointment to the training program. A Steering
Committee will advise the training program’s leadership on program operations. They will review candidates for
appointment and reappointment, assess the alignment of thesis projects with the training program’s goals, and
evaluating trainee progress based on a written Thesis Advisory Committee report. The program faculty have
been selected based on their research activities and track record or their potential as mentors. Of note, the
training program faculty have a strong collaborative record of research funding and publication. We will prepare
PhD students to become independent research scientists through thesis research and didactic and experiential
learning. Trainees will be enrolled in either of two schools and their programs share a similar philosophy and
sequence. Both cohorts of trainees will have access to the same career development and skill building
activities, will interact through shared seminars, journal clubs and student research presentations, take some
courses together and benefit from the programs and resources of the NIDDK-funded Boston Nutrition Obesity
Research Center. Indeed, our trainees will have a broader exposure to scientific ideas and approaches than
those in traditional programs at either school. By design, this training plan will serve to foster cohesion among
program trainees and help them learn to work in a multi-disciplinary environment. Program components include
didactic coursework, seminar-bases courses, a qualifying examination, research rotations, thesis research, and
career development planning. The training program is designed to be truly multi-disciplinary in approach and to
provide a broad range of training opportunities with the ultimate goal of preparing trainees for successful
careers as research scientists.