BMI Bioinformatics Training Grant - ABSTRACT
The UCSF Graduate Program in Biological and Medical Informatics (BMI) is seeking to further develop its train-
ing program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. The program focuses on training diverse students to
become scientific leaders at the interface between computation, statistics, and biology. The training plan for
coursework, enrichment activities, and research reflects the fundamentally collaborative culture at UCSF.
Thus, both the formal and informal features of the program have been designed to bring together students from
different disciplines and train them for team-based problem solving. Although the focus is on computational
research, students are also exposed to experimental biology in many aspects of their training including re-
search rotations and research-based coursework. As a result, our graduates understand the sources of their
data as well as how to manipulate it and are prepared to interact in multidisciplinary teams that require an un-
derstanding of both "wet" and "dry" scientific cultures. Our program has dramatically expanded our outreach
efforts to recruit a diverse and talented group of students with computational and quantitative backgrounds,
and have developed initiatives to foster a healthy community of inclusion and respect for students across all
intersections of individual identities. We stand with all students, and train them to tackle challenging problems
in biology at scales that span the molecular to the phenotypic. The hallmarks of our program include:
● Collaborative and inter-disciplinary research. Training faculty are heavily involved in collaborative research,
both within and outside of UCSF. Many of their labs (and trainees) are involved in Consortia or Centers
created to address problems that cannot be solved from a single viewpoint but require contributions from
many disciplines. Student publications reflect this culture.
● An innovative and evolving curriculum. Our core values of collaboration and interdisciplinary research are
instilled from day one in a “Community Week”, and continue in well-tested and new intensive project-based
core courses designed to establish a common knowledge and language, and to foster team skills. A modu-
lar panel of “selectives” addresses important knowledge gaps in statistics and computer/data science, in-
herent in the diverse scientific backgrounds of our students. Current and new ‘mini courses’ facilitate deep
exploration of research topics in small groups with faculty experts, and allow the curriculum to adjust to cur-
rent scientific developments, and in response to student and alumni feedback and program assessment.
● Intensive training in communication, and preparation for diverse careers. We emphasize training in key
competencies needed in diverse careers in academia, industry, or the public sector, including oral and writ-
ten presentation, communication, and teamwork skills. Students can participate in career preparation work-
shops and internships, and many take on leadership roles in outreach and teaching. Our alumni include
leaders in both academia and industry, including several who have started successful companies.
