Pharmacological Sciences Training Program (PSTP) - The Pharmacological Sciences Training Program (PSTP) at Georgetown University Medical Center is an interdisciplinary program that will bring together a community of Ph.D. candidates across disciplines who are dedicated to thesis research in pharmacological science. Trainees will prepare for future careers in academia, pharma, biotechnology, or drug regulatory agencies. This application seeks funding for six predoctoral students. The 28 mentor and 11 preceptor faculty in the program all have a strong history of mentorship and research programs in drug development for disease treatment. Trainees in the program are drawn from four programs (Pharmacology & Physiology, Biochemistry, Tumor Biology, and Neuroscience). Faculty mentors in the PSTP share a common interest in identifying drug targets within cellular signaling pathways to treat human disease. Trainees will enter the program in their 2nd year of graduate school and will be supported for their 2nd and 3rd years. Trainees take a comprehensive set of core courses in pharmacological sciences, as well as specialized electives in pharmacology relevant to their research. All students in the program undertake didactic training in physiological and biochemical principles integral to pharmacology. Given the interdisciplinary nature of pharmacological sciences, students will have additional exposure to bioinformatics, molecular and cellular biology, and biostatistics that integrate pharmacology. Our courses cover cellular networks to organ function to behavior and systems medicine. Training will enhance understanding of drug mechanisms specific to their field of study and research, and enable them to characterize novel drug targets and relevant targetable signaling pathways in disease. Both trainees and mentors will participate in structured mentor training. During the period of support, trainees will have dedicated blocks for internships: one part-time, semester-long placement will occur at Georgetown (e.g., regulatory affairs, technology commercialization); the other will be summer internship at a local partnering institution. Thus, our trainees will gain broad exposure to transferable skills across career paths while developing research skills. Program goals include (1) 95% degree attainment within 5.5 yrs, (2) a robust trainee pool drawn from our 4 feeder programs, (3) 100% participation of mentors and trainees in formal mentor training, (4) four high-impact publications per trainee, (5) 75% job placement in pharmacology-related careers within 2 yrs of degree, (6) expand internship opportunities, (7) increase the adoption of best practices in graduate admissions. We are committed to training the next generation of pharmacological scientists, building on the strengths of GUMC’s long track record of success in pharmacology.
