Friday, November 22, 2024
11/22/2024
Project Summary The Training Program in the Molecular Bases of Eye Diseases (MBED) is postdoctoral training program in the Department of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School (HMS) that aims to attract and mentor talented and motivated basic scientist trainees in vision research. The program is comprised of 33 faculty members who conduct research in a range of areas using a broad array of methods and models. The mentors represent a diversity of relevant disciplines including ocular immunology, vascular biology, neurobiology, regenerative medicine, gene therapy, bioinformatics, ocular surface, and drug delivery, to name a few. Moreover, the research faculty are focused on a number of important ocular pathologies such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinal degenerations, corneal inflammation, wound healing, dry eye and corneal transplantation. This diversity provides a wide selection of training opportunities. Since it was first established in 1997, the MBED program has trained 93 trainees, four of whom have been under-represented minorities. Most of our trainees have continued some aspect of vision research. Their productivity is illustrated by their publications records. Each year the Training Grant supports three trainees for one year; each trainee spends at least two years total in training. A majority of the MBED faculty has extensive research experience, strong publication records, and successful records of mentoring. Each faculty member has an appointment in the department of Ophthalmology at HMS and is affiliated with Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass Eye and Ear, Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Children’s Hospital or the Joslin Diabetes Research Center. All mentors are funded and most are supported by the National Eye Institute (NEI). The goal of the MBED Program is to provide trainees with expertise in cellular, biochemical and molecular approaches as well as knowledge and proficiency with relevant disease models. Importantly, the training provided by the MBED Program instills the ability to recognize and the address the important clinical and basic research questions challenging ophthalmology. The faculty are highly committed mentors as evidenced by the quality and success of their trainees. The location of the affiliated institutions in Boston provides an outstanding research environment with access to outstanding facilities and resources. Training includes dedicated mentoring, full-time research, didactic courses, ample opportunity for collaboration and networking, workshops on soft skills, as well as instruction in grant and manuscript writing and review, communications skills, the responsible conduct of research, and methods for enhancing reproducibility. Thus, MBED training encompasses all elements required to produce independent and successful vision researchers who have deep knowledge and understanding of the basic and clinical principles that are key to identifying and solving important ophthalmic problems.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
