Training in BioMolecular Pharmacology

The predoctoral Training Program in Biomolecular Pharmacology at Boston University was launched in 1991, aiming to train emerging leaders in interdisciplinary discovery-based approaches to targeting therapeutics. This aim has evolved to encompass the next generation of technologies targeting precision therapeutics. Our overarching goal is to prepare the next generation of independent investigators, industrial leaders, educators, and policy makers in pharmacological sciences through rigorous, individualized, and multidisciplinary research training, collaborations, networking, and career development in the laboratories of nationally and internationally recognized faculty. Predoctoral trainees will be exposed to various scientific fields and methodologies combining pharmacology with chemistry, structural and cell biology, biomedical engineering, biochemistry and genomics through innovative and rigorous research, coursework, seminars, workshops, journal clubs featuring authors of leading publications in the respective field, retreats, and other activities. Our nascent training program was honored in 1997 with an NIGMS T32 grant that was renewed and awarded for the following 25 years. So far, our university-wide program has provided a supportive learning environment for over 145 predoctoral students to experience an innovative curriculum, interdisciplinary laboratory rotations, industrial 7-week summer rotations, and a wide range of mentored research training opportunities that span the Medical and Charles River campuses. Trainees for this T32 grant enter via the Pharmacology Program in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics or the MD-PhD Program. An integrated curriculum provides students with enriched training in pharmacology coordinated with specialized training in their primary discipline, but without additional coursework. The core curriculum stresses fundamental pharmacological principles including interactions of bioactive molecules, drug delivery for novel therapeutics, animal models relevant to therapeutics, and opportunities for advanced drug discovery. We have also included activities to monitor programmatic outcomes and training in reproducibility and rigor; a new course on rigorous scientific research with colleagues from Pfizer; and learning of study design, statistical methods, manuscript preparation and publication, and grant writing strategies. Participating faculty (36) spanning multiple career levels will contribute expertise as efficient and caring mentors in their focus areas. Career guidance by mentors, strengthened by the BU PhD Progression and Digital BADGE Monitoring, empowers our trainees toward careers in academia, government, or industry. The time to degree for T32 trainees over the past 5 years was 5.0 years with 96% retention, and over 95% trainees have first-authored peer-reviewed publications. Graduates compete exceptionally well for positions in various sectors of life science. Currently, 34 students are training grant eligible. This T32 application seeks to fund four new trainees each year for 2-year terms, contingent upon trainee performance and recommendation of the mentor and Program.