Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology Training Program

The Pharmacological Sciences Training Program, renamed the Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology (CMP) training program in this new submission, is one of the oldest and largest pharmacology training programs in the nation. The program provides a specific set of skills and a strong identification with the field of Pharmacology to students entering through the umbrella Biomedical Sciences (BMS) Program at UCSD. The training program is associated with one of the premier Departments of Pharmacology, whose faculty are highly funded, dedicated to graduate education, and trained and experienced mentors. Junior faculty and those from other UCSD departments and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences complement the list of Pharmacology Department training mentors to provide broad interdisciplinary research opportunities. Students join the CMP Training Program at the beginning of their second year of graduate work, having taken the first year of required BMS didactic courses and seminars that cover a broad range of state-of-the-art research areas, and emphasize presentation and communication skills, quantitative skills, and rigor and reproducibility. The entire class of first year BMS students (~30 training grant eligible students) are invited to apply to the CMP training program and many do so because of the excellent reputation of the program and its faculty. At present there are 38 students in the CMP training program, with 7-8 students entering each year and supported for two years, corresponding to the requested 15 training grant slots per year. Once in the program, the students become a highly cohesive group through their interactions in additional CMP-specific classes and interdisciplinary training experiences. These include an introductory workshop in the Fundamentals of Rigor and Reproducibility, two courses in Drugs and Disease, computational and/or quantitative courses, a biannual Careers course, a student organized journal club, attendance and participation in the weekly Research Discussion presentations, and a yearly retreat focused in large part on the trainees. Through these activities, the program seeks to build a pool of rigorously trained scientists, with the skills required for leadership roles in areas of biomedical science where training in the fundamental discipline of pharmacology impacts basic research, drug discovery, public policy and education. Intended and realized outcomes, evidenced by those of our extensive pool of alumni, include positions in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, in government and regulatory affairs, in public policy and secondary education, in law, and in biomedical and pharmacology education. Critical and independent thinking that pushes the boundaries of pharmacological science is emphasized and recognized through a variety of awards to students and alumni.