Purdue Drug Discovery Training Program - The objective of the Purdue Drug Discovery Training Program (PDD-TP) is to provide predoctoral students with a cross-disciplinary training at the chemical-biology interface as it broadly pertains to drug discovery. Modern drug discovery is rapidly evolving with new insights into human disease and new approaches for identifying therapeutic modalities. Drug Discovery involves a wide range of scientific disciplines, including biology, chemistry, and pharmacology, and utilizes a variety of experimental approaches, necessitating a multi- disciplinary approach to graduate training. The Purdue Drug Discovery Training Program brings together trainers and trainees from seven departments and four colleges to provide a comprehensive overview of the modern approach to drug discovery in biomedical research. Our overall objective is for these interdisciplinary scientists to gain broad understanding of the problems and approaches of modern drug discovery, the scientific skills to develop and implement rigorous research, and the communication skills to successfully engage with others in the community. To achieve that goal, the training program will utilize the following specific approaches: Trainees will take an integrated curriculum to expand their breadth of knowledge and understanding of experimental approaches. Trainees will participate in an embedding project outside their primary laboratory for cross-disciplinary experience and training. Trainees will participate in program-specific activities intended to enhance communication, critical thinking, leadership, management, mentorship, networking, and knowledge of academic and industrial drug discovery. Activities include formal presentations by trainees and trainers, organization of seminars in drug discovery, discussions of scientific ethics and responsible conduct, visits with scientists across a variety of careers, networking with alumni in drug discovery, and tours of on-campus and off-campus facilities. Trainees will have unique opportunities to engage experts in the evaluation of drug pipeline candidates and participate in a mock drug panel review. Quantitative assessments ensure that our training program is effectively increasing the scientific knowledge base of trainees, expanding their exposure and knowledge of careers in drug discovery, and providing them with the skills to responsibly conduct and communicate research related to drug discovery. We are requesting 3 new positions per year with 2 years of support. PDD-TP trainees will start the program during their second year of graduate school and stay in the program until graduation. PDD-TP trainees will graduate with a comprehensive skill set, exposure to the myriad of steps in drug discovery and pipeline development, and experiences that will continue to serve them long after they enter the biomedical workforce.
