UC San Diego Genetics Training Program

The UC San Diego Genetics Training Program (GTP) is designed to provide advanced training in Genetics and Genomics to predoctoral students beginning in their second graduate year. While several degree-granting umbrella programs at UCSD include genetics or genomics research, GTP uniquely integrates trainees across programs and builds both lateral and vertical cohorts of PhD students interested in the history, practice and future applications of Genetics and Genomics in life and health sciences. Mentor laboratories encompass a broad range of basic science and clinical/translation research and span a range of organisms–including microbial, plant, experimental animal, and human subjects–but share a focus on genetic, genomic, and epigenomic mechanisms and approaches. Students who have committed to thesis research in one of these laboratories enter the GTP for advanced training activities after the first year and may be selected for support by this training grant. The GTP curriculum cuts across traditional graduate programs in participating schools, divisions and departments. GTP students take graduate core courses in Genetics and Quantitative Methods and participate in a weekly journal club during graduate years 2-4. The journal club includes rotating topics in contemporary genetics or classic, landmark papers relevant to the intellectual development of the field. GTP students select quarterly topics in consultation with participating faculty. Journal club papers and discussion are used to assess methods and logic, experimental design, data analysis, and responsible conduct of research in additional to the quarterly research topics around which they are selected. A program- wide annual retreat, organized by year 5 students and an Associate Director, includes invited outside keynote speakers and research presentations by program faculty and students. GTP has 30-40 students in training at any one time, for whom we are requesting 16 training grant slots to support 8 students per class year for two years each. Intended and realized trainee outcomes are fulfilling scientific careers in academic, government, and private industry.