Friday, March 14, 2025
3/14/2025
Project Summary The Pharmacological Sciences Training Program (PSTP) at Georgetown University Medical Center is new, interdisciplinary and integrated program that will bring together an inclusive and diverse community of doctoral candidates across Ph.D. disciplines who are dedicated to thesis research in pharmacological science. Faculty mentors in the PSTP share major research strengths in identifying drug targets within cellular signaling pathways to treat human disease. 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 with >$30 million in annual research funding. Trainees in the program are drawn from Ph.D. programs in Pharmacology & Physiology, Biochemistry, Tumor Biology, and Neuroscience. Trainees will prepare for future careers in academia, pharma or biotechnology industry, or drug regulatory agencies. This application seeks annual funding for six predoctoral students, providing a catalyst to bring together the four feeder programs, and would be the only NIGMS T32 at GU. Trainees will enter the program in their second year of graduate school, will be supported for their second and third years, and will have ongoing participation throughout the remainder of their degree. Trainees take a comprehensive set of core courses in pharmacological sciences, physiological/biochemical principles integral to pharmacology, and specialized electives in pharmacology relevant to their research. Recognizing the interdisciplinary nature of pharmacological sciences, students will have additional exposure to bioinformatics, molecular and cellular biology, and biostatistics that integrate pharmacology. Our courses take a wide view ranging from cellular networks to organ function to behavior and systems medicine. Training will enhance their understanding of drug mechanisms specific to their field of study and research, and enable them to characterize novel drug targets and signaling pathways in disease. Both trainees and mentors will participate in structured mentor training. During the period of support, all trainees will have two dedicated blocks for internships: one part- time, semester-long placement will occur at Georgetown (e.g., regulatory affairs, technology commercialization); the second block will be summer internship at a local partnering institution (biotech, government, foundations). Thus, our trainees will gain broad exposure to transferable skills across career paths while developing their research abilities. We have set program goals to include (1) achieving a 95% degree attainment within 5.5 years of matriculation, (2) achieving 30% representation of underrepresented groups in our trainee pool, (3) achieving 100% participation of mentors and trainees in formal mentor training, (4) achieving four high-impact publications per trainee, (5) achieve 75% job placement in pharmacology-related careers within two years of degree, (6) continuing to expand our internship opportunities, and (7) increasing the adoption of best practices in graduate admissions. We are committed to training the next generation of pharmacological scientists, building on the strengths of Georgetown’s long track record of success in pharmacology.
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