CTSA Predoctoral T32 at Boston University

About This Grant

Summary The objective of this T32 proposal is to provide rigorous training in all aspects of translational research related to regenerative medicine. There is a bourgeoning need for creative, critical, and responsible transdisciplinary scientists as thought leaders and administrators who will spearhead national efforts to bring regenerative medicine into widespread clinical practice. This national need was demonstrated by Congress’s 21st Century Cures Act that established regenerative medicine as one of four national research areas in desperate need of clinical translation. This proposal integrates Boston University’s marquee programs in tissue regeneration, stem cell biology, biomedical engineering, human organoid in vitro disease modeling, gene editing, tissue repair after infectious injuries, and computational biomedicine to produce an extraordinarily rigorous and comprehensive training program in the emerging, futuristic discipline known broadly as “regenerative medicine.” This proposed funding of our already successful Regenerative Medicine Training Program (RMTP), now in its 8th year, is geared to transitioning our UM1-associated program into a formal T32 program with a clinically-focused training experience over 2 years for 6 pre-doctoral trainees at a time. Our proposed T32 RMTP incorporates mentored cross-disciplinary research, exciting courses taught by the leaders of these marquee programs, career development coaching, and additional training in critical thinking, scientific writing, oral presenting, and familiarity with the complex ethics that will face tomorrow’s national thought leaders as regenerative medicine research moves from bench to bedside. An additional goal of this T32 is training in 10 regenerative medicine-specific core competencies that also can be utilized for distribution nationally across the CTSA. These competencies will maintain rigor of training in translational science and prepare our trainees to become leaders in translational regenerative medicine research. With 27 graduates of our RMTP already trained, 19% of whom are MD/PhD dual degree trainees, our program represents a proven state-of-the-art training ground for translational scientists with 89% retention in scientific or health-related research to date. The many deliverables of this T32 RMTP will include shareable patient-specific stem cell repositories procured from at risk patient populations, sophisticated protocols that will allow any CTSA institution to prepare patient-derived organoids in vitro, and hands-on training courses or on line modules that will disseminate this expertise freely across the entire CTSA. This “open-source” approach to science is central to the mission of BU’s Center for Regenerative Medicine, the physical home of many of our T32 faculty, labs and resources.