An Interdisciplinary Training Program to Transform Graduate Education In Genetics and Genomics

PROJECT SUMMARY Genetics is a foundational discipline central to biomedical research and clinical practice. Our mission is to train geneticists for the 21st century. To achieve this goal, we have designed and implemented an interdisciplinary training program to transform graduate education in genetics and genomics at the University of Minnesota. Our Specific Aims are: (i) to provide students with rigorous and quantitative training in the fundamentals and state- of-the-art advances in genetics, genomics, and computational biology; (ii) to leverage the many collaborative research and educational strengths of our institution to provide new interdisciplinary student-centered graduate training opportunities that transcend departmental and collegiate boundaries; and (iii) to generate a diverse cohort of well-trained scientists able to integrate their broad skillset and their hunger for lifelong learning into their work across a multitude of careers in the biomedical workforce. This program will enable trainees to pursue many impactful career opportunities in academia, biotechnology, government, health care, or education created by recent advancements in genetics and genomics, including careers in fields that are undergoing rapid change, as well as careers in areas that do not presently exist or that are nascent. In recognition of the fact that the geneticists of tomorrow must possess quantitative acumen, we have not only developed new courses emphasizing bioinformatics and computational approaches, but we have also integrated these into our training program through a major redesign of the graduate curriculum pursuant to evaluation by internal and external review panels. In a sense, genetics and genomics are foundational fields that transcend and unify multiple disciplines within the biological sciences because what sets living things apart from inanimate objects is that all living things possess within them molecular blueprints for their construction, genomes. An impactful aspect of this academic and research training program is that it seeks to transcend traditional departmental boundaries by bringing together researchers from multiple disciplines within the biomedical sciences who utilize genetic and genomic analyses in their research. In so doing, this training program seeks to promote interdisciplinary research, foster collaborative team science, and implement individualized student-centered educational and career development programs. Our training program includes 50 highly productive and collaborative faculty from ten departments across five colleges at the University of Minnesota. We are seeking support for six PhD trainees for two years each beginning in year two of their academic program, with funding for year one provided by institutional funds. In addition to their thesis research, trainees will participate in professional development programs aimed at promoting their transition into and long-term success in biomedical science-related careers.