NIH Training Grant in Systems and Developmental Biology and Birth Defects
The Icahn School of Medicine has received funding from the NIH for this integrated PhD predoctoral training program, Interdisciplinary Training in Systems and Developmental Biology and Birth Defects. We have the commitment and infrastructure to administer this successful and rigorous educational program for predoctoral trainees.
Program Overview
Systems biology is a relatively new discipline used to understand the complex interactions underlying healthy and diseased states of a cell, tissue, or organism. This requires knowledge of networks of processes and molecular and protein interactions. Studies of normal development and birth defects are more established classical disciplines. However, there has been very little integration of system biologic approaches to the study of development and inborn errors of development. Scientists who are versed in both mathematics and biology are needed to address the complexities of developmental biology. To fill the void of scientists trained in these multiple disciplines, the School has received funding from the NIH for this integrated PhD predoctoral training program.
Program Design
The overall organization includes at least 28 faculty from 12 different departments, institutes, and centers as well as three multidisciplinary training areas (Genetics and Genomics Sciences; Developmental and Regenerative Biology; and Systems Biology of Disease and Therapeutics) and the Graduate School of Biological Sciences. An outstanding group of scientists and educators with expertise in systems biology, developmental biology or birth defects, are the faculty for the program.
The Director is Ethylin Wang Jabs, MD, of the Department of Genetics and Genomics, and co-Directors are Eric Sobie, PhD, of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics and Robert Krauss, PhD, of Developmental and Regenerative Biology. The Curriculum will emphasize the integration of concepts of developmental biology, inborn errors of development, genomics, molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology as well as quantitative reasoning, computational biology, and bioinformatics. In addition, journal clubs and seminar series integrating systems biology, developmental biology and birth defects enhance the unique learning experience.
Application Process and Requirements
PhD or MD/PhD predoctoral students interested in this training program should fill out an online application. Funding preference is given to third and fourth year students who have selected research projects appropriate for the goals of this training program.