Biological Discovery through Chemical Innovation Training Program at Emory University

Project Summary The Biological Discovery through Chemical Innovation training program (BDCI TP) is a new, innovative predoctoral training program at Emory University, focused on providing specialized training in interdisciplinary science to students working at the critical intersection of chemistry, biology, and human health, with a particular emphasis on drug discovery and development. Emory provides a rich environment for this training program, with demonstrated strengths and depth of knowledge across several disciplines from basic science to translational research and clinical practice. This program aims to provide trainees with the knowledge, language, and skills needed to tackle the most pressing challenges in human health and disease, and ultimately prepare them for diverse careers in the biomedical workforce. To do this, we have carefully designed a training program that provides specialized, interdisciplinary training to supplement the foundational, discipline-specific training they will receive in their home graduate programs. Trainees in the BDCI TP will be supported during years 2 and 3 of their graduate training and will be drawn from several different graduate programs, including Chemistry and a strategic group of programs in the life sciences within the Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. With a specific emphasis on driving diversity within the program, the BDCI TP will support 6 students per cohort, for a total of 12 students per year as the program matures. Designed to provide significant value to trainees, the BDCI TP includes a new interdisciplinary course focused on therapeutic discovery and development, a new workshop series aimed at driving cross-disciplinary language development and tailored ethics and rigor training in the area of interdisciplinary/team science, an annual symposium for trainees to present their work and network with leaders in the field of chemical biology, an immersive research experience outside their mentor’s laboratory, a bi-annual retreat with other CBI programs at complementary institutions, and support for trainees to pursue unique professional development opportunities. Altogether, this program will equip trainees to succeed in the increasingly interdisciplinary field of modern therapeutic innovation.