Chemistry Biology Interface Training Program at Wayne State University

Research on human health has fundamentally changed in the last 20 years. Modern genomics and proteomics technologies have carefully characterized health-related events, which has opened the door to asking more complex questions about normal and disease states. Correspondingly, to confront complex research challenges, the career opportunities to Ph.D. scientists include multiple non-academic positions (e.g., industry, biotechnology, government, publishing). Along with this research progress and changing career landscape, the biomedical culture has placed greater emphasis on quantitative data analysis, rigor and reproducibility, and transparency to ensure the quality and accuracy of research findings and safety to minimize risk to scientists and the environment. To take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity to thoroughly dissect biological systems with high standards of rigor and many career perspectives, a biomedical work force capable of multi-disciplinary, team-driven, and problem-focused thinking is needed. In total, this modern world of biomedical research requires a rethinking of the Ph.D. training experience. To address the changing needs in biomedical work force training, we have created a Chemistry Biology Interface (CBI) training program at Wayne State University (WSU). WSU has the ideal campus environment for a scientifically rigorous training experience. CBI faculty among six departments and three colleges offer a breadth of research expertise for graduate training. WSU has in place a series of professional development activities to augment career preparation. Building upon these strengths, the CBI program will augment the graduate training within core disciplines by promoting multi-disciplinary research knowledge and collaboration facilitated by cross-campus mentoring and peer-to-peer advising. These outcomes will be achieved through a series of CBI activities that center around an individualized “My Ph.D.” theme. The foundational activity is an annual "My Ph.D." workshop focused on career skills surveying, assessment, and planning, which will be led by CBI student peers and faculty for multi-level mentoring. Complementing the individualized skills evaluation, multi-disciplinary research, scientific rigor, communication skills, and peer cohort building/networking will be accomplished through annual CBI symposia, biweekly seminar activities, a team- taught and literature-based CBI course, a co-mentoring Ph.D. committee structure, early and sustained academic advising, internal and external research experiences (ATTRACT), and community outreach events (ACT OUT). Through these meaningful activities, WSU Ph.D. graduates will form a strong scientific identity with discipline-specific skills and informed multi-disciplinary perspectives. The combination of research breadth, skills depth, and enhanced mentoring facilitates the confident, solution-oriented, and collaborative thinking needed to address complex biological questions and migrate through a multifaceted career backdrop.