Training Program in Organogenesis

ABSTRACT: The University of Michigan Training Program in Organogenesis takes advantage of the exceptional strength and faculty expertise in developmental biology, stem cell biology and bioengineering at The University of Michigan. This application requests funding to support 6 predoctoral trainees, and provides institutional support for two (2) additional predoctoral candidates using a cohort model to appoint new students each year. The Training Program has 36 training faculty from diverse schools, colleges, programs and departments, and who are uniquely suited to create a multidisciplinary training environment for our highly ambitious and talented predoctoral trainees. The overarching goal of the University of Michigan Training Program in Organogenesis is to provide a unique training experience that unites exciting career and professional development activities with interdisciplinary research efforts towards understanding how organs and tissues are formed and maintained, and how these mechanisms are altered in disease. In the future we envision our trainees as leaders in academia and industry who will create replacement organs, design therapeutics, improve stem cell therapies and develop effective organ transplantation systems. The Training Program will provide intellectual and technical training relevant to the field of organogenesis, with a focus on understanding the mechanisms that control development or disease pathogenesis, and how this understanding can be leveraged for organ engineering and therapeutic strategies. It will enhance the training experience of trainees, by engaging both faculty mentors and trainees in mentoring workshops aimed to develop a personalized and inclusive training plan. The Training Program will serve as a point of cohesion for trainees from diverse colleges and departments, and will promote interdisciplinary thinking by exposing trainees to research that crosses boundaries between basic, applied, and clinical sciences. The Program will implement several program-specific initiatives to provide trainees with unique and tailored career development opportunities.