Training Program in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology - Enter the text here that is the new abstract information for your application. This section must be no longer than 30 lines of text. Elemental processes occurring at the cellular level underpin embryonic development, the function of tissues and organ systems, and disease pathogenesis. The mission of the predoctoral T32 Training Program in Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology (CMDB) is to provide interdisciplinary training in basic cell, molecular and developmental processes essential for multicellular organisms. While this is a new application for a predoctoral T32 program, it should be noted there is an existing CMDB T32 program at UAB that has been funded by the NIH since 1984. The new CMDB T32 program, which supplants the existing program, capitalizes on training components that have been well-vetted for their effectiveness in providing high quality graduate training. However, these impactful training elements are paired with new training activities designed to meet the ever-changing, and increasingly competitive, scientific environment and workforce. New programmatic activities include didactic courses and workshops focused on basic cell structure, physiology and cell communication, as well as training in cutting edge technologies and scientific ethics. Additionally, a new Career Development Committee has been instituted, which provides CMDB appointees with one-on-one career guidance to prepare trainees for a variety of professional roles. By integrating well-validated training experiences with new activities tailored for the current scientific milieu, the CMDB program will provide trainees with the tools needed to leverage knowledge of seminal cellular processes to elucidate the mechanistic basis of disease. There are 5 components of the CMDB T32 Training program: (1) evidence-informed didactic curriculum and experiential learning activities; (2) research mentoring by outstanding faculty preceptors; (3) training in scientific communication; (4) instruction in responsible conduct of research, scientific rigor and reproducibility; and (5) personalized career guidance and networking opportunities. Trainees will be appointed to the CMDB T32 program in the beginning of their 2nd year of graduate school and support will extend for 2 years. Our goal is to capture students in the early stages of training in order to foster an interdisciplinary mindset as students advance in their research projects. We are requesting 10 predoctoral training positions, based on the large gap between the number of training grant eligible students, and the overall number of predoctoral T32 positions at UAB (an 11th position is supported by matching funds from the UAB School of Medicine). Further support for 10 positions is provided by historical data indicating steep competition for the positions on our existing CMDB T32. Importantly, the CMDB T32 program is unique at UAB in that it is the only T32 program that supports predoctoral trainees in basic cell and molecular biology independent of a disease focus, thus, extending opportunities to high-caliber trainees who would otherwise be ineligible due to the nature of their research. The overarching goal of the CMDB program is to provide a dynamic and multidimensional training experience that equips trainees to translate information garnered from studies of diverse biological systems into biomedical advances that promote human health.
