UCLA's Competitive Research Training Grant Programs

Administrative Department: Psychology
Director(s): Christine Dunkel Schetter
Contact Name: Christine Dunkel Schetter
Contact Email: dunkel@psych.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-8816

A number of strengths in our program make it a unique and exciting place for graduate or postdoctoral study. Opportunities for training in biopsychosocial bases of health and illness are broad, well developed and still growing. Our faculty has established programs of research on the reciprocal links between psychological and physical health and disease which provide superb venues for research experience. The faculty is composed of scholars with expertise in psychoneuroimmunology; stress, coping, and social support processes; health behavior and behavior change; social neuroscience; and ethnic, racial and sociocultural aspects of health with a range of theoretical and methodological approaches brought to bear on these central themes (e.g., family, individual, community perspectives; experimental, intervention, daily diary, and survey research). In addition, our program offers research opportunities in cancer, pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and heart disease, as well as healthy populations. Research programs on depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disease, and schizophrenia by affiliated faculty offer further venues for our students to study comorbidities and integrate mind and body approaches in their research. Finally, our faculty have extensive ongoing interdisciplinary research collaborations in the psychiatry, public health, social science, life science, medical science, and nursing for student involvement.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology
Director(s): Mateo Pellegrini
Contact Name: Mandy Mcweeney
Contact Email: mandy@lifesci.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-0068

This T32 is focused on supporting graduate students pursuing biomedical big data analysis research at UCLA. Over the past few years there has been increasing recognition that the biomedical sciences are undergoing a transformation, led by the development of new technologies that have enormously increased the capacity to generate data. These include technologies to sequence DNA and RNA; measure protein and metabolite abundances using mass spectrometry; as well as multiple other high throughput platforms for screening and phenotyping. Coupled with the advances in medical imaging and EHRs, the amount of data is growing faster than ever before. Thus training program allows students to explore and gain experience in fundamental aspects of biomedical "big data" analysis.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Chemical Engineering
Director(s): Yi Tang
Contact Name: Yi Tang
Contact Email: yitang@ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-0375

The goal of the UCLA Biotechnology Training Program is to educate and to train the next generation of highly skilled scientists and engineers who will assume leadership roles in multidisciplinary biotechnology research. This goal will be achieved through a cohesive training program entailing cross-disciplinary research, a common curriculum composed of formal coursework in life science and engineering and of research seminars, and an industrial internship.  An important aspect of the training program will be the promotion of meaningful research interaction between biomedical scientists and engineers.  The interface between the life/health sciences and engineering is extraordinarily rich in its diversity.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Epidemiology
Director(s): Beate Ritz & Tom Drake
Contact Name: Irish del Rosario
Contact Email: IdelRosario@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-7458

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund Inter-school Training Program in Chronic Diseases (BWF-CHIP), directed by Dr. Beate Ritz (Epidemiology) and Dr. Thomas Drake (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine), provides training in laboratory and population sciences to integrate research along the entire continuum from molecules to populations. Chronic diseases are the number one epidemic of our time in Western Nations and are gaining importance in low resource countries. The etiologic complexity of chronic diseases require a multidisciplinary approach that goes beyond simply translating epidemiologic, basic science, and genetic discoveries into clinical and public health practice.

With a team of outstanding UCLA researchers and educators at the cutting edge of their research, the program harnesses major advances in biomedical, genetic, and population sciences and focuses on integration of these approaches. By providing foundational training and research experience in basic, clinical, and population-based approaches, trainees are being prepared to integrate population-based quantitative sciences with laboratory based biological sciences to effectively lead cross-disciplinary studies of the future.

The BWF-CHIP Training Program is open to all UCLA graduate students (PhD, MD) who seek to apply advanced genomic, molecular, population-based, and quantitative methods to the study of disease distribution in human populations. Acceptance into this program will provide trainees in this area of research with the foundational quantitative and laboratory knowledge to enable important interdisciplinary research in chronic diseases. This program provides up to two years of support for UCLA fees and tuition, in addition to stipend support at a rate comparable to those set by NIH or NSF.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: California Center for Population Research
Director(s): Jennie E. Brand
Contact Name: Wen (Lucy) Shao
Contact Email: lucy@ccpr.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-794-7850

CCPR is the primary center for research and training in demography and population at UCLA. CCPR faculty are concentrated in Sociology, Economics, and Community Health Sciences, the three primary disciplines in which population scientists are trained in the U.S., as well as in related fields, e.g., geography, public policy. Recent hiring of population scientists has increased the number of CCPR affiliates and attracted increased numbers of students interested in demographic and population studies. Accordingly, funding is requested for 6 predoctoral traineeships per year, an increase of 2 over our training grant award in 2001 and the renewal in 2006 and 2011. The training program that we seek to renew and expand plays a central role in CCPR-coordinated training at UCLA. It builds on strong graduate programs in sociology, economics, and public health; a distinguished multi-disciplinary faculty with a diverse portfolio of research than spans economic, social, and health demography and reflects the NICHD/PDB mission; and abundant resources for population research at UCLA.

We seek to train the next generation of population scientists to carry out theoretically informed, methodologically sophisticated research on topics of contemporary relevance that relate to population studies. We have built an innovative curriculum in each of the three core departments, Sociology, Economics, and Community Health Sciences (CHS), and integrated interdisciplinary training in population science into their programs. For the renewal, we retain the existing features of the successful program, including a training seminar with presentations by invited speakers, trainee proseminar, mentorship, and cross-disciplinary coursework. Since the previous renewal, we added the trainee proseminar at which current and past trainees meet with invited faculty guests and discuss the speaker's research and research trajectory. We also added the requirement that all trainees complete at least one course in demography from an approved list of courses. We will also add the requirement that all trainees complete at least one advanced methods course. The program has a remarkable record of success at producing independent investigators who carry out cutting-edge research in social, economic, and public health topics that reflect the NICHD mission. Of the 29 trainees who have completed their PhD since 2005, 11 are now assistant or associate professors at major universities, 9 hold research intensive positions, 4 are postdoctoral researchers at major universities, and 4 hold appointments as lecturer (with 1 currently on the market). Thus, most trainees secure tenure-track faculty or other research intensive positions, often preceded by prestigious postdoctoral fellowships.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Epidemiology
Director(s): Zuofeng Zhang
Contact Name: Cathy Lang
Contact Email: clang@ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-8501

The objective of the Cancer Epidemiology Training Program is to continue to implement an innovative, multidisciplinary, and collaborative research training program in molecular and genetic cancer epidemiology for five predoctoral and two postdoctoral trainees.

The Cancer Epidemiology Training Program has been training pre- and postdoctoral candidates in cancer epidemiology since 1975. From the beginning, the objective of the program has been to provide trainees with rigorous coursework and applied research experiences in cancer epidemiology, integrating epidemiology, statistics, and biology. Since 1999, the Cancer Epidemiology Training Program has emphasized Pre, Post epidemiologic methodology and the molecular and genetic epidemiology of cancer. The Program is directed by Dr. Zuo-Feng Zhang, and co-directed by Dr. Roger Detels.

The Specific Aim of the program is to train up to five predoctoral and two postdoctoral trainees at any given year during the program cycle in an interdisciplinary program of cancer molecular genetic epidemiologic research leading to the M.S. (postdoctoral program only) and Ph.D. degrees in epidemiology. Postdoctoral trainees with prior doctoral training in epidemiology will develop and complete research projects under the mentorship of one of the key program faculty. The rationale of this training program is to provide the best possible training in epidemiologic methodology, which will prepare students for carrying out research on a wide range of health issues. Predoctoral trainees are to complete all courses required in epidemiology methodology, as well as additional courses in the application of epidemiology in cancer research, including cancer epidemiology, behavioral epidemiology, genetic modeling, molecular basis of cancer, and molecular epidemiology. The program provides an opportunity for students to learn genetic and molecular aspects of cancer and to apply their methodological skills in investigating problems related to cancer etiology, intervention and control. Ultimately, the training program will yield a core of strong methodologists with expertise in genetic and molecular cancer epidemiology.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Chemistry and Biochemistry
Director(s): Heather Maynard
Contact Name: Heather Maynard
Contact Email: maynardadmin@chem.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-267-5162; 310-206-9005

The objective of the UCLA CBI Training Program is to educate the scientists who will lead research and training at the interface between chemistry and biology in the decades to come. The rational for needing a CBI program at UCLA is that despite interactions and collaborations across disciplines, Ph.D. training is often traditional and insular in each department, emphasizing courses and training in a narrow specialty. Although deep training within a discipline is necessary and important, the next generation of scientists will also need to be educated across disciplines to be maximally effective in this modern era. The UCLA CBI Program provides this by breaking down the isolation between departments, and immersing trainees in state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research that spans the interface of chemistry and biology. Participating trainees come from all research areas of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, as well as from the Departments of Molecular & Medical Pharmacology, Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology, Chemical Engineering, and Bioengineering, and from the Molecular Biology Institute, Neuroscience Program, and Access Program.

Graduate student trainees are involved in research that (1) has a strong organic, physical, or analytical chemistry component and (2) addresses significant unsolved problems at the Chemistry/Biology interface. The major requirements of the program are (1) completion of Chem205A, an interdisciplinary graduate level course entitled "Introduction to Chemistry of Biology," Chem205B, "Issues on the Chemistry-Biology Interface" a course designed to provide trainees with information about techniques that can be implemented in their research, and Chem203B, ethics training. (2) Students will also participate in Chem206, a weekly luncheon seminar course consisting of intensive review and discussion of cutting- edge research at the chemistry biology interface and trainee presentations, and (3) participation in a cross-disciplinary research internship. The training program is for three years and twelve predoctoral trainees are requested to meet some of the strong demand for this training program. The program converts brilliant chemists who are amateurs in biology into chemists who can identify and solve the most important problems in biology and who are highly collaborative with biologists. It also turns the biologist using a chemical technique as a black box into an expert who contributes to the development of chemical methods to study biology, can identify new chemical approaches to solve their biological problems, and who are comfortable collaborating with chemists. This coherent and interactive training program also has significantly strengthened the scientific and educational environment at UCLA.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: UCLA CTSI
Director(s): Moira Inkelas (TL1 Translational Science Fellowship) and William Cunningham (TL1 Summer Fellowship)
Contact Name: Lisa Chan
Contact Email: lchan@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-3706

The UCLA CTSI TL1 Translational Science Fellowship is awarded to incoming pre-doctoral students in the Department of Health Policy and Management in the UCLA School of Public Health. Fellows receive mentored training to ensure the translational nature of their dissertation projects. The goal of the fellowship is to provide pre-doctoral fellows with the investigative skills to create new knowledge about health services.

Learn more →

The UCLA CTSI TL1 Summer Fellowship is for health professional students (medical, nursing and dental) during their training. The program will provide each individual with early exposure to the practice of interdisciplinary, community-partnered translational or health services research in urban underserved communities. Each student in the program will attend a weekly seminar (for 8 weeks) where they will hear about topics such as introduction to health disparities research, access to care, quality of care, community-partnered research methods, ethics of conducting community-oriented research, study design, measurement of outcomes in communities, introduction to comparative effectiveness and cost effectiveness analyses. Each student in this program will be paired with a faculty mentor who conducts either clinical or community-partnered or health services research and will be expected to work on a project with the mentor. Findings from this work will be presented in a CTSI-sponsored poster session and possibly co-authorship for the student in a peer reviewed publication resulting from the project. Mentorship activities will provide the trainee with first-hand experience working on disparities-related research projects.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Medicine - Dermatology
Director(s): Robert Modlin & Bill Lowry
Contact Name: Jennifer Serpas
Contact Email: JSerpas@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-794-9554

T32 Dermatology Scientist Training Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA is designed to prepare outstanding predoctoral (Medical Scientist Training Program [MSTP] candidates only) and postdoctoral trainees (MD, PhD, and MD/PhD) for academic research careers in Dermatology at a time of declining numbers of physician-scientists nationwide. During the initial 5-year period, with 2 predoctoral and 2 postdoctoral trainees per year, each for a 2- or, if indicated, 3-year appointment with protected research time, this new training program will fill a critical need for research training in a diverse range of research areas pertaining to skin biology, including immunology, metabolism, and computational biology, enhancing collaborative basic and translational research at UCLA.

In response to this need, the interdisciplinary curriculum and mentored research opportunities of the new program interweave the scientific expertise and mentoring experience of 33 high-quality multidisciplinary faculty who are committed to collaborative, team- based science. The new career development program will leverage the resources of the UCLA MSTP, Specialty Training and Advanced Research (STAR) Program, and Training Program in Translational Science for the core curriculum.

The aims of the UCLA Dermatology T32 program are to: i) expand the multidisciplinary knowledge base of dermatology as it relates to different aspects of skin diseases; ii) provide didactic and hands-on research training in the intellectual and philosophical foundation of dermatological investigation within the broader clinical-translational research enterprise; iii) develop trainees' scientific writing skills for publications and grants; iv) provide an academic environment that enables development of the research skills and experience needed for successful, independent scientific careers in academic medicine; and, v) model research-empowering teaching and mentoring skills for trainees' development, including their eventual replication of research education, training, and career development programs in skin biology as their careers evolve into stable, scientific independence. Overall, the proposed T32 carves out a unique niche not only within the health sciences training/career development enterprise at UCLA as an integrated program focused on both basic scientists and physician scientists in investigative dermatology but also among NIAMS-supported T32 programs in dermatology nationwide through its innovative leveraging of a university-wide program, the STAR Program, to develop the careers of physician scientists, combining clinical and research training.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Molecular and Medical Pharmacology
Director(s): Ren Sun
Contact Name: Shumin Wu
Contact Email: ShuminWu@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-2153

Developments in virology have led to the development of several classes of therapeutics, including treatments or prevention of microbial infection and gene therapy. Gene therapy holds the promise of therapeutic options for a variety of diseases. A key issue in gene therapy is the development of gene delivery vehicles that evade immune or inflammatory response, are non-toxic, and target the gene effectively. To fulfill the national need for these types of therapeutic options, the UCLA Virology and Gene Therapy Training Program aims to provide a unique and outstanding environment for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees pursuing research careers in fields related to gene therapy. This program will establish a solid training in fundamental virology and its applications in gene therapy.

The research interests of our faculty encompass viral entry, viral gene expression regulation, replication of viral genome, cell biology during viral infection, viral particle assembly, viral carcinogenesis and viral immunology, as well as designing novel vectors and tracking viral vectors in vivo. With strong basic research programs on retroviruses, adenoviruses, SV40, hepatitis C, poliovirus, influenza virus and herpesviruses, our faculty has been and will be continuously developing viral vectors from these viruses and monitoring gene expression in vivo using non-invasive imaging technologies in combination stem cell biology.

The trainees will be exposed to clinical and diagnostic issues during their training to underscore the therapeutic applications of their research projects, and be encouraged to form translational collaborations with basic and clinical mentors. This bridge in training environment will enhance the translation from basic science to clinical application in gene and cellular therapy. The training program constitutes 1) original research work with one or more of our faculty; 2) formal course work which provides comprehensive background on virology and gene therapy; and 3) regular research conferences and seminars, presented by invited guest speakers, faculty members and trainees; 4) training in best practices in research, responsible conduct and career development.

The training committee will select trainees via a competitive process. Appointments are renewable with satisfactory progress (up to 2 years predoctoral, 1 year postdoctoral). The training program is fully integrated with the reorganized PhD programs in biosciences at UCLA. The progress of the trainees and the program are reviewed periodically. At UCLA, this rigorous training program with emphasis on vertical integration of basic sciences and therapeutic applications produces the scientists required for long-term development of virology and gene therapy.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Health Services
Director(s): Thomas Rice
Contact Name: Yayoi Roth
Contact Email: ysroth@ph.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-983-1355

The Los Angeles Area Health Services Research Training Program (LAAHSRTP) postdoctoral fellowship is a joint initiative of the Department of Health Policy and Management at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, RAND Health, The USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, and the V.A. Los Angeles Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation and Policy. It is supported by a T-32 grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The program provides comprehensive training and experience to highly-qualified postdoctoral trainees so that they may effectively engage in and lead research and implementation activities aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of the U.S. health care system.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Radiological Sciences
Director(s): Alex Bui
Contact Name: Isabel Rippy
Contact Email: irippy@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-794-3534

This T32 is focused on supporting graduate students pursuing medical and imaging informatics research at UCLA. With the now ubiquitous usage of imaging as an in vivo method for objectively documenting and elucidating disease and the human condition, novel research challenges arise in the acquisition, the understanding, and the usage of imaging and related (clinical) data in realizing new knowledge and improved health outcomes. This training program supports doctoral students from a variety of departments, including Bioengineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Information Studies.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Deans Office School of Medicine
Director(s): Carlos Portera-Cailliu
Contact Name: Josie Alviar/Azucena Esquivel
Contact Email: joalviar@mednet.ucla.edu; aesquivel@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-9762; 310-794-1817

Welcome to the UCLA-Caltech MSTP website! Having recently celebrated our 30th year as an NIH-funded MSTP, we are proud to direct a program with a history of training outstanding physician scientists. We believe that the clinical and research enterprises at our institution are ideal for combined MD-PhD training. Since its opening in 1955, the UCLA Medical Center (now the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center) has been committed to bench to bedside research and has fostered a pervasive culture of collaborative, interdisciplinary science. This is reflected in the architecture of the campus, with the Hospital, Medical Center and Health Sciences complex all within walking distance of the College of Letters and Sciences, School of Engineering, and nine other professional schools on a single, beautiful campus in West Los Angeles. The breadth and excellence of research at both UCLA and Caltech allows us to offer rigorous training in a wide array of disciplines relevant to improving human health and medicine, ranging from basic sciences to engineering to social sciences and health policy.

We recruit and support students who display a passion for scientific knowledge and a life-long commitment to research and leadership. We are additionally committed to the recruitment and training of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and ethnic groups that are under-represented in the sciences, and students with disabilities. Our students complete their medical training at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and their PhD in one of many graduate training programs at the university. Each year, two students pursue their graduate training at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where they can draw from the strengths of its dynamic faculty and research community

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics
Director(s): Patricia Johnson
Contact Name: Patricia J. Johnson  
Contact Email: johnsonp@ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-4870

The UCLA Microbial Pathogenesis Training Grant provides the foundation for an integrated research training program in the biochemistry, cell biology & genetics of microbial pathogens and host-pathogen interactions. The program's goal is to train scientists to conduct research in microbial pathogenesis using molecular, cellular, genetic, immunological, genomic and post-genomic approaches. Our training faculty includes 23 preceptors with a broad range of related research interests in the areas of bacteriology, parasitology, virology, and immunology. Faculty preceptors have excellent publication, funding and training records. The program, first funded in 1988 was continually funded for 25 years until 2013. The program is small, with six predoctoral and two postdoctoral funded positions; yet it plays a vital role, not limited to trainees, in educating PhD students and postdoctoral fellows in the field of microbial pathogenesis at UCLA. Most of our predoctoral trainees are recruited through the Biosciences Program (BSP) which will provide an excellent pool of ~45 - 55 predoctoral students yearly. In recent years >30% of entering PhD students express interests in microbiology, immunology and host:pathogen interactions.

Our faculty are also highly successful in attracting qualified postdoctoral fellows, having >10 postdoctoral fellows eligible for support in any given year. Trainees are selected for funding on a competitive basis, after a thorough review of their academic and research accomplishments. Progress is reviewed at least twice a year and appointments are renewed yearly with a maximum of three years of support for predoctoral trainees and two years for postdoctoral trainees. The training program requires the completion of coursework focused on microbial pathogenesis, annual presentations of trainee research in symposia attended by all trainees and training preceptors, participation in a Microbial Pathogenesis seminar series composed of external, preeminent scientists in the field & associated literature discussions.

Trainees also participate in a journal club focused on host:pathogen interactions and newly emerging infectious agents. These journal clubs are jointly facilitated by training preceptors and trainees and serve to broaden trainee education. Participation in a course devoted to ethics and accountability in biomedical research and [a scientific writing course] is also required. [All trainees will be required to develop career objectives guided by "My Individual Development Plan (IDP)".] [Postdoctoral trainees are also required to participate in the PhD Career Training Series and research-related career focused workshops. Career counseling by the program director and training grant advisory committee is also emphasized.] Annual research presentations at national meetings and UCLA scientific retreats are expected. The focal point of our training program is excellence in research. Several mechanisms are in place to monitor and facilitate trainee progress in research and career development. Our past training efforts have been successful and continued success is anticipated following the plan described in this proposal.

Administrative Department: Integrative Biology & Physiology
Director(s): Rachelle Crosbie-Watson & Carrie Miceli
Contact Name: Rachelle Crosbie-Watson
Contact Email: rcrosbie@physci.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-794-2103

Muscle cell biology is an area of exciting growth in translational medicine. The muscular dystrophies are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of conditions characterized by progressive muscle degeneration. Translational research in the muscular dystrophies is expanding, as academic and industry partnerships yield new potential treatments that are currently being assessed in clinics around the world.

The goal of the Muscle Cell Biology, Pathophysiology, and Therapeutics program is to capitalize on the momentum that arose from this explosion of translational research. The training program will capitalize on and bridge the talents of muscle cell biologists and translational experts to provide trainees with a broad education based in basic science and exposure to many aspects of disease-related research. The Muscle Cell Biology, Pathophysiology, and Therapeutics program is designed to train the best possible young scientists to lead the muscle biology community in the next phase of discovery and translational muscle science. Trainees conduct research projects under the supervision of primary mentors and participate in the CDMD training activities, including biweekly data meetings, journal clubs, and the annual CDMD scientific retreat.

We encourage the recruitment, retention, and training of scholars who are members of underrepresented groups and diverse specialties and with disabilities. Program co- Directors, Rachelle Crosbie-Watson, Ph.D. and M. Carrie Miceli, Ph.D., can address further questions about the program and applicant qualifications.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Biomathematics
Director(s): Tom Chou
Contact Name: David Tomita
Contact Email: dtomita@biomath.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-5554

The goal of this training program is to support pre-doctoral students who seek a balanced and rigorous training in mathematics and biology/biomedicine with a special emphasis on research in mathematical modeling in biology or biomedicine. The early training includes formal course work, research rotations with participating faculty, and attendance and participation in seminar series.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Radiological Sciences
Director(s): Michael McNitt-Gray
Contact Name: Reth Im
Contact Email:  rtim@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-7811

Physics and Biology in Medicine Research Training is an interdisciplinary graduate program in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Faculty and students in the program are involved in Biomedical Research in Radiological Imaging and Therapy that operates at the intersection of traditional disciplines. In addition, it requires interdisciplinary teams of scientists with backgrounds in:

• Biology or its subspecialties (e.g. molecular biology, etc.)
• Chemistry or its subspecialties (e.g. biochemistry, etc.)
• Physics or its subspecialties (e.g. medical physics, biophysics, etc.)
• Mathematics or its subspecialties (e.g. computational methods, simulation, etc.)
• Engineering or Computer Sciences or any of their subspecialties (e.g. biomedical engineering, nuclear engineering, etc.).

The program is primarily aimed at students who wish to pursue the Ph.D. degree and offers training in four specialties:

• Molecular Imaging (Imaging of the living chemistry of cells and tissues of the body)
• Medical Imaging (Imaging anatomy, physiology and pathology using MR, CT and other modalities)
• Therapeutic Medical Physics (Physics of radiation therapy and novel planning or delivery methods)
• Molecular and Cellular Oncology (Biological effects of radiation for both therapeutic and public protection)

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Semel Institute
Director(s): Mary Jane Rotheram-Borus
Contact Name: Roxana Rezai
Contact Email: rrezai@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-794-2715

CHIPTS is seeking PhD and MD postdoctoral scholars for an NIMH-funded T32 training program in HIV combination prevention and its comorbid conditions, focusing on novel technologies and reducing health disparities. UCLA faculty with expertise in HIV combination prevention will partner with trainees to offer an intensive and innovative, behaviorally-focused training experience that includes additional academic training, participation in research projects, and professional development, with a strong emphasis on technical writing, grant preparation and networking.

This T32 HIV training grant aims to attract, fund, and train 12 post-doctoral trainees over 5 years who can be leaders in developing and implementing a novel behavioral and social science agenda for combination prevention, utilization of new technologies, and reducing health disparities in HIV. The specific goals of the two to three-year program are to:

• Provide focused, interdisciplinary mentoring to 12 post-doctoral trainees in the field of HIV prevention and treatment, especially in terms of conceptualization and design, writing, and project management
• Engage trainees in two to three years of intensive hands-on research projects under the supervision of faculty mentors experienced in HIV research
• Support trainees’ development and implementation of their own research projects, leading to their own grant proposals and multiple publications
• Link trainees to a broad network of HIV researchers, creating opportunities for later career advancement and knowledge of cutting edge research.
• Offer the opportunity for one additional course per quarter for one year to remediate deficit skills.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Molecular Biology Institute
Director(s): Jorge Torres
Contact Name: Jonathan Lowenson
Contact Email: cmbtraining@chem.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-3137

The CMB Training Program enhances opportunity for the study of cellular, biochemical, and molecular sciences at UCLA, providing research support and integrating coursework, seminar programs, and the Molecular Biology Institute's annual retreat.  Our training faculty have access to graduate students pursuing a PhD through Graduate Programs in Bioscience, which includes the four Home Areas affiliated with the Molecular Biology Interdepartmental PhD (MBIDP) program (Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Structural Biology; Cell & Developmental Biology; Gene Regulation; Immunity, Microbes, & Molecular Pathogenesis), and through the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, which includes the Biochemistry, Molecular and Structural Biology Graduate Program.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Human Genetics
Director(s): Jeanette Papp & Eric Sobel
Contact Name: Jenny Luna
Contact Email: mpluna@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-0920

The Genomic Analysis Training Program is funded by a NIH grant and supports UCLA pre-doctoral students whose goal is to conduct research in genomics. The program is designed to insure that students obtain an adequate biological, computational and statistical foundation to succeed in this important new, interdisciplinary field.

Each year, the Genomic Analysis Training Program provides its trainees with stipends and funding for academic fees. The grant also provides support for travel and research expenses.

Participating faculty represent a multidisciplinary approach to genomics including: biological chemistry, biomathematics, biostatistics, cardiology, chemical engineering, chemistry and biochemistry, human genetics, molecular and medical pharmacology, pathology and laboratory medicine, and pediatrics.

An ideal undergraduate preparation for genomic analysis and interpretation includes

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Semel Institute
Director(s): Nelson Freimer
Contact Name: Yoon Jung
Contact Email: yjjung@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-794-6427

The Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics administers tightly integrated predoctoral and postdoctoral training programs in neurobehavioral genetics, funded by NIMH and NINDS respectively. Pre, Post programs emphasize training in human studies as well as in investigations of a wide range of model organisms, and incorporate state of the art approaches to neurobehavioral phenotyping, experimental and quantiative genetic analysis, and genomics. Pre, Post programs seek to enroll trainees who will enhance diversity, and individuals with disabilities and/or from disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to apply. The encouragement of diversity in training programs is a UCLA-wide goal. For more details about campus resources relating to diversity see http://www.diversity.ucla.edu The Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics is accepting nominations of candidates for the NINDS-funded postdoctoral training program in neurobehavioral genetics and the NIMH-funded predoctoral training program in neurobehavioral genetics.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Semel Institute
Director(s): Daniel Geschwind & Carrie Bearden
Contact Name: Yoon Jung
Contact Email: YJJung@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-794-6427

The Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics administers tightly integrated predoctoral and postdoctoral training programs in neurobehavioral genetics, funded by NIMH and NINDS respectively. Both programs emphasize training in human studies as well as in investigations of a wide range of model organisms, and incorporate state of the art approaches to neurobehavioral phenotyping, experimental and quantiative genetic analysis, and genomics. Both programs seek to enroll trainees who will enhance diversity, and individuals with disabilities and/or from disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to apply. The encouragement of diversity in training programs is a UCLA-wide goal. For more details about campus resources relating to diversity see http://www.diversity.ucla.edu The Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics is accepting nominations of candidates for the NINDS-funded postdoctoral training program in neurobehavioral genetics and the NIMH-funded predoctoral training program in neurobehavioral genetics.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Integrative Biology & Physiology
Director(s): James Tidball
Contact Name: James Tidball
Contact Email: jtidball@physci.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-3395

 Physiologists at the University of California, Los Angeles, have created an interdepartmental Ph.D. program (IDP) in Molecular, Cellular, & Integrative Physiology (MCIP) that is designed to provide training for predoctoral students that will enable those students to meet new challenges in biomedical and life science research. In the view of the training faculty, there is an important and growing need for biomedical researchers who can design and perform cellular and molecular manipulations that can be interpreted in the complex, in vivo, physiological environment. Our goal is to help to meet that need. A great strength of our program is that it is founded upon the established abilities of the training faculty to perform state-of-the-art research in physiology that integrates molecular, cellular and systemic functions. Furthermore, the faculty has a long history of successful training of pre-doctoral and post-doctoral students who have continued in their own successful scientific careers. The program has been further strengthened by a curriculum in which integrative approaches to modern, physiological research are emphasized.

The quality of the MCIP faculty, our program and the success of our students was reflected in the most recent ranking of Physiology doctorate programs in the United States by the National Research Council (NRC). According to the NRC, the MCIP program is the first (R-ranking) or second (S-ranking) most highly-ranked Physiology program in the United States. In this renewal application, continued funding is requested for 6 NRSA supported traineeships per year. This support will be provided to the most highly-qualified predoctoral students early in their graduate training, while they complete research rotations and graduate coursework in Molecular, Cellular, & Integrative Physiology, and begin the development of their thesis research. Trainees will be recruited nationally and be selected for the program if they have demonstrated high academic achievement, experience in research, and high promise for a successful future in research and teaching in biomedical or life sciences. We anticipate that the students who complete their Ph.D. training in our program will be well-equipped for careers of scientific discovery at interface between molecular biology and systemic function. Those new researchers can advance our knowledge of fundamental mechanisms of organismic function that can potentially provide a basis for the understanding and treatment of human diseases.

Administrative Department: Pathology
Director(s): Oliver Hankinson
Contact Name: Oliver Hankinson
Contact Email: ohank@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-2936

The thirty faculty of our interdepartmental PhD in Molecular Toxicology Program come from sixteen different departments in the School of Medicine, the Fielding School of Public Health, and the College of Letters and Science at UCLA. Members of our faculty also participate in the activities of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the newly established California Nanosystems Institute. Areas of particular strength in our program include chemical carcinogenesis, repair of DNA damage, air pollution toxicology, nanotoxicology, and the environmental causation of Parkinson's disease. The program is supported by a training grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Our program is now in its seventeenth year. Students from our first ten years (2001-2010) have all graduated.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Pathology
Director(s): Gay Crooks & Owen Witte
Contact Name: Andrew Aldapa
Contact Email: aaldapa@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-1770

The overarching goal of the Tumor Cell Biology Training Program (TCB-TP) is to equip the next generation of cancer biologists and clinician scientists with the tools essential for innovative research. Recent improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer have been driven by the translation of paradigm-shifting basic research into clinical settings. Continued progress toward complete remission or cure of all cancer types will require an intensified effort on multiple fronts. For this to occur, it is essential that the next generation of cancer researchers have the knowledge, analytical tools, and critical thinking skills to integrate diverse fields of biology. In addition, it is imperative that basic science researchers be able to access and integrate the insights being generated by clinical researchers. We undertake this mission using two complementary approaches. The first is to provide comprehensive training in the fundamental and emerging mechanisms of tumor biology and the range of tools available to study these processes. The second is to provide a forum in which basic studies in tumor biology are viewed within the context of their relevance to diagnostics and therapeutics. These objectives are achieved through the participation of trainees and faculty with a diverse range of scientific interests and expertise in both basic and translational research. The training program brings together three pre-doctoral and five post-doctoral trainees, who are supported for at least two years while they conduct mentored research projects. Trainee mentors are drawn from twenty-four Ph.D. and M.D. program faculty members who are affiliated with 12 different UCLA departments, and whose areas of research include cancer-initiating cells, transcriptional regulation, tumor micro-environment, metabolism, computational biology, and cell division. A monthly seminar series brings together trainees and faculty to critically discuss research data presented by each trainee. The program leadership invites at least one translational and/or clinical investigator who has expertise in the topic under discussion and can contribute a clinical perspective to the seminar. One-on-one meetings between program leadership and trainees are designed to provide feedback on seminar content and effectiveness of the presentation, encourage trainees to discuss their progress and plans, and offer trainees an opportunity to express any concerns about their training environment. A written Individual Development Plan is completed annually by trainees and reviewed with the PIs and co-investigator. Courses on ethics and reproducibility in research are mandatory for all trainees. The Tumor Cell Biology Training Program will be jointly directed under the multi-PI mechanism by Dr. Gay M. Crooks and Dr. Owen N. Witte, senior academic leaders at UCLA with well established programs in basic and translational research. The program enjoys strong campus support from, among others, the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Broad Stem Cell Research Center. The PIs are assisted by co-investigator John Colicelli, and strategic oversight to the grant is provided by Internal and External Advisory Committees.

Administrative Department: Pathology
Director(s): Michael Teitell
Contact Name: Andrew Aldapa
Contact Email: aaldapa@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-1770

The program provides training in all aspects of tumor immunology research. We propose to continue supporting a total of nine trainees (3 predoctoral, 6 postdoctoral) in a highly structured research training environment under the supervision of experienced and highly productive faculty mentors. Over the past 35 years, the UCLA Tumor Immunology Training Program (TITP) has bridged training in the fields of cancer and immunology, and is the sole UCLA training program integrating fundamental laboratory- based immunology with clinical oncology. For many years the TITP has remained vital through the recruitment of new faculty members from different departments into the program. In the next funded period, the focus on tumor immunology training is strengthened by including only topic-related faculty in the program. The TITP has leveraged UCLA's internationally recognized standing as a major center in clinical trials utilizing immunotherapy and genetic immunotherapy against a variety of cancers. Additional training leverage is provided by a top scoring Clinical Science Translational Institute (CTSI), directed by Dr. S Dubinett, who is a co-director of the TITP. The training program has been highly successful in developing new investigators with ~85-90% of trainees continuing research careers in academics or industry. Thus, the TITP continues as a strong complement of basic, translational, and clinical investigations in tumor immunology at UCLA.

A multitude of unique, interactive, and highly integrated activities in tumor immunology serve as an outstanding resource for our trainees. The TITP emphasizes training in the cellular, molecular, and genetic mechanisms of tumor cell-host immune interactions. At Pre, Post the predoctoral and postdoctoral levels, the TITP main goals are to: 1) identify and support outstanding trainees with a high level of interest and focus in tumor immunology research, 2) train scientists to conduct cutting-edge research in fundamental and clinical tumor immunology, 3) provide trainees with a solid background in the biological sciences with an emphasis in fundamental immunology, biochemistry, biology, genetics, and now also stem cell biology and nanotechnology, 4) facilitate career development by helping predoctoral trainees choose postdoctoral fellowships and obtain support, and by guiding postdoctoral trainees in obtaining positions in academia and industry, 5) acquaint and support trainees' interdisciplinary action and research opportunities, 6) introduce novel and significant projects for which beneficial outcomes will be derived, 7) acquaint trainees with state-of-the-art research through the training grant-supported fundamental and tumor immunology seminar series and associated journal clubs, and 8) provide trainees with regular opportunities to present their own research in seminar form and receive critical feedback from the training grant faculty and scientific community beyond UCLA by supporting trainee presentations at tumor immunology-related national and international meetings.

Administrative Department: Epidemiology
Director(s): Pamina Gorbach & Marjan Javanbakht
Contact Name: Julie Saulny 
Contact Email: jsaulnyu@ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-6093 

The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Cambodia increased sharply in the 1990s, reaching upwards of 40% among high-risk populations.2 While the prevalence rate declined to approximately 0.9% by 2006, it remains inflated among high-risk groups.3 In the wake of the epidemic, the Cambodian government initiated national data collection and disease monitoring efforts that have produced rich, longitudinal data from HIV/AIDS treatment and surveillance programs. However, a shortage of professionals trained to manage and interpret these types of data, persists. The UCLA Department of Epidemiology and the Cambodian University of Health Sciences (UHS) propose a program to train a cohort of Cambodian public health professionals in the management, analysis and evaluation of secondary data. Trainees will have two tracks from which to choose. The UCLA MS/MPH track requires coursework in epidemiologic methods and principles, biostatistics, data management, behavioral sciences and HIV/AIDS epidemiology. This track also requires completion of a master's project that must be relevant for HIV/AIDS policy development in Cambodia. The UCLA PhD track requires trainees complete core courses in epidemiology as well as courses in logic, causation and probability, the biology of HIV/AIDS, graduate statistics and pass a qualifying exam. Trainees then carry out a dissertation in Cambodia that is relevant to HIV/AIDS policy. The overall program will be assessed based on trainee progress and matriculation rates; thesis/dissertation quality, policy relevance and the proportion published; the program's impact on UHS recruitment rates and trainee placement in national HIV/AIDS monitoring and data analysis roles.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Semel Institute
Director(s): Edythe London
Contact Name: William Chu
Contact Email: williamchu@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-0606

The UCLA Translational Neuroscience of Drug Abuse (TNDA) Program set forth to link several successful UCLA research centers by establishing a unified training program. Each year, applications are accepted for Pre, Post pre- and postdoctoral fellowships (12-month, renewable appointments).

The program is funded by a NIDA T32 Training Grant and provides trainees with the integrative knowledge base needed to conduct bidirectional translational studies including cutting-edge technical laboratory methods, computational approaches in data evaluation, and issues related to ethical treatment of human subjects. TNDA trainees will have a research project in a specific mentor’s laboratory, but will gain exposure to other areas of drug abuse research through laboratory rotations, common core training elements as well as by formal and informal interaction among key faculty and TNDA leadership.

Successful researchers must also become adept at identifying sources of research funding and at preparing fundable applications that can further their independent investigation. TNDA trainees will receive didactic training and mentoring in these important areas, with emphasis on skills in scientific writing and presentation to enhance dissemination of research findings.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Epidemiology
Director(s): NiKlas Krause (UCLA) & Dean Baker (UCI)
Contact Name: NiKlas Krause (UCLA) & Dean Baker (UCI)
Contact Email: niklaskrause@ucla.edu or dbaker@uci.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-2079 (Dr. Krause) or 949-824-8690 (Dr. Baker)

Adults spend most of their waking hours in work environments that may be health promoting or a major cause of increased injury risk, chronic diseases, prolonged disability, or premature mortality. Occupational epidemiology is one of the core scientific disciplines used to identify, quantify, and prevent such health risks in the work environment. The National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) sponsors 18 Education and Research Centers (ERC) across the US that provide academic graduate level and professional interdisciplinary training in various fields related to occupational health or safety, including occupational epidemiology.

The Southern California NIOSH Education and Research Center (SCERC) at UCLA and UCI is directed by Dr. Niklas Krause, MD, PhD, MPH, Professor of Epidemiology and of Environmental Health Sciences at the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA. The center’s Collaborative Research Training Program in Occupational Epidemiology is co-directed by Dr. Krause at UCLA and Dr. Dean Baker, MD, MPH, Professor in Environmental Health Sciences at the School of Medicine at UCI in collaboration with the respective epidemiology departments on both campuses.

The program offers fellowships for doctoral training in occupational epidemiology to students who choose to address occupational health or safety issues identified in the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) in their dissertation research. Special emphasis is given to research training in chronic disease epidemiology (such as cardiovascular, respiratory, or neurological diseases), the epidemiology of work-related injury, musculoskeletal disorders, associated disability, and the study of chemical, physical, ergonomic, behavioral and work-organizational risk factors. Trainees follow the standard curriculum for doctoral students in the UCLA or UCI epidemiology program but will focus their elective coursework and research on occupational epidemiology and related exposure and risk assessment methods. They also participate in interdisciplinary training activities with other SCERC trainees from related academic trainings in occupational medicine, occupational health nursing, and industrial hygiene. Professors in the UCLA departments of epidemiology (Onyebuchi Arah, Leeka Kheifets, Niklas Krause, and Beate Ritz) and in the UCI department of medicine (Dean Baker) and epidemiology (Anton-Culver, Ralph Defino) provide primary mentorship for this collaborative research training program. Additional faculty in these and other departments and schools provide access to data and specialized training in specific research areas as needed.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology
Director(s): Luisa Iruela-Arispe
Contact Name: Luisa Iruela-Arispe
Contact Email: vbtp@mbi.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-794-5763

The main objective of the Vascular Biology Training Program is to develop the next generation of cardiovascular biologists. The program places a strong emphasis on creativity, networking and self-motivation to develop independent scientists who will make significant contributions to biomedical research and be an asset to the institutions and communities they serve.

To achieve these goals we have developed a strong mentorship approach, novel didactic components and incorporated high exposure to medicine. UCLA houses a tremendous resource of interdisciplinary groups whose research focuses in vascular biology. The group includes 27 laboratories that currently offer training to 124 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. It is this community that constitutes the pillars of a unique training program for the next generation of investigators in this area of research.

The Program is funded by a grant from the NHLBI that supports pre- and post-doctoral trainees for three and two years respectively. The program also features a highly interactive seminar series with outside speakers and several seminar venues for discussion of science by trainees and UCLA investigators. We invite you to drive through the website and get to learn more about our program and recent accomplishments.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Jules Stein Eye Institute
Director(s): Alapakkam Sampath
Contact Name: Alappakam Sampath
Contact Email: asampath@jsei.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-2024

The Vision Science Training Program (VSTP) has its home in the Jules Stein Eye Institute (JSEI), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine, and has been continuously active for more than 40 years. During this period the VSTP has trained nearly 140 scientists, a large portion who have gone on to distinguished careers in vision science. The Program covers the training of Pre, Post predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows, and takes place in the laboratories of 14 faculty mentors. These vision scientists possess expertise in a wide range of disciplines and hold academic appointments in 13 departments at UCLA. Applicants for predoctoral fellowships first enter UCLA through one of several graduate programs, and they complete the curriculum associated with that program. After a year of rotations they join the laboratory of a VSTP mentor.

Applicants for postdoctoral fellowships apply directly to the VSTP lab of interest. All trainees that are members of VSTP labs are invited to participate in the curricular offerings of this program. These offerings are collectively designed to provide experimental and conceptual training in vision science, as many of the trainees have no prior experience in vision science. All fellows are required to take Fundamentals of Vision Research, a quarter-long course organized and taught by VSTP members. Additionally fellows are integral members of the scientific environment at JSEI through attendance and participation in a number of events, including the weekly Vision Science Seminar Series, the Vision Science Journal Club, and the Annual Vision Science Retreat held in Lake Arrowhead. A particular focus of the VSTP for this grant period is the stronger integration of basic and clinical science. Several offerings will help bridge the gap between these two research focuses by facilitating interactions between the scientists and the clinicians, including the Annual UCLA Stein Eye Clinical and Research Seminar, Translational Grand Rounds, and a Basic-Clinical Science Exchange program. Such experiences will help trainees to place their research into the context of visual health and disease.

A major addition to the VSTP will be a dedicated program focused on the postdoctoral trainees, to support their transition to independent investigators. An NRSA F32 Training Course will be offered to all postdoctoral fellows in VSTP labs to provide formal training in how to craft and submit an effective NIH research proposal. Given the interdisciplinary nature of vision research, the overall goal of the VSTP is to bring together faculty with a wide range of expertise (including anatomy, biochemistry, biophysics, chemistry, molecular biology, physiology, pharmacology, cell biology, and developmental biology) to provide interdisciplinary experimental and conceptual training to predoctoral and postdoctoral candidates seeking to develop careers in vision science. Continued funding of the VSTP will permit the JSEI to carry on its critical mission of training the next generation of first-rate basic and clinical vision scientists.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Psychology
Director(s): Christine Dunkel Schetter
Contact Name: Christine Dunkel Schetter
Contact Email: dunkel@psych.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-8816

A number of strengths in our program make it a unique and exciting place for graduate or postdoctoral study. Opportunities for training in biopsychosocial bases of health and illness are broad, well developed and still growing. Our faculty has established programs of research on the reciprocal links between psychological and physical health and disease which provide superb venues for research experience. The faculty is composed of scholars with expertise in psychoneuroimmunology; stress, coping, and social support processes; health behavior and behavior change; social neuroscience; and ethnic, racial and sociocultural aspects of health with a range of theoretical and methodological approaches brought to bear on these central themes (e.g., family, individual, community perspectives; experimental, intervention, daily diary, and survey research). In addition, our program offers research opportunities in cancer, pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and heart disease, as well as healthy populations. Research programs on depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disease, and schizophrenia by affiliated faculty offer further venues for our students to study comorbidities and integrate mind and body approaches in their research. Finally, our faculty have extensive ongoing interdisciplinary research collaborations in the psychiatry, public health, social science, life science, medical science, and nursing for student involvement.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Epidemiology
Director(s): Zuofeng Zhang
Contact Name: Cathy Lang
Contact Email: clang@ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-8501

The objective of the Cancer Epidemiology Training Program is to continue to implement an innovative, multidisciplinary, and collaborative research training program in molecular and genetic cancer epidemiology for five predoctoral and two postdoctoral trainees.

The Cancer Epidemiology Training Program has been training pre- and postdoctoral candidates in cancer epidemiology since 1975. From the beginning, the objective of the program has been to provide trainees with rigorous coursework and applied research experiences in cancer epidemiology, integrating epidemiology, statistics, and biology. Since 1999, the Cancer Epidemiology Training Program has emphasized Pre, Post epidemiologic methodology and the molecular and genetic epidemiology of cancer. The Program is directed by Dr. Zuo-Feng Zhang, and co-directed by Dr. Roger Detels.

The Specific Aim of the program is to train up to five predoctoral and two postdoctoral trainees at any given year during the program cycle in an interdisciplinary program of cancer molecular genetic epidemiologic research leading to the M.S. (postdoctoral program only) and Ph.D. degrees in epidemiology. Postdoctoral trainees with prior doctoral training in epidemiology will develop and complete research projects under the mentorship of one of the key program faculty. The rationale of this training program is to provide the best possible training in epidemiologic methodology, which will prepare students for carrying out research on a wide range of health issues. Predoctoral trainees are to complete all courses required in epidemiology methodology, as well as additional courses in the application of epidemiology in cancer research, including cancer epidemiology, behavioral epidemiology, genetic modeling, molecular basis of cancer, and molecular epidemiology. The program provides an opportunity for students to learn genetic and molecular aspects of cancer and to apply their methodological skills in investigating problems related to cancer etiology, intervention and control. Ultimately, the training program will yield a core of strong methodologists with expertise in genetic and molecular cancer epidemiology.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Medicine - Cardiology
Director(s): James N. Weiss
Contact Name: Sumiji Takahashi
Contact Email: sutakahashi@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-6286

The Divisions of Cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, and West LA VA Medical Center are pleased to offer fellowship training in cardiology. Successful applicants will receive comprehensive training in clinical cardiology at one of the Nation's most premier Medical Centers and Schools of Medicine. There are two training tracks offered, both of which offer exemplary clinical training in the practice of cardiovascular medicine.

The Clinical Training track offers comprehensive clinical training in cardiovascular medicine over 2 years with one additional year of clinical research. Additional sub-specialty in Interventional Cardiology, Electrophysiology, Heart Failure, Heart Transplantation, and Adult Congenital Heart Disease is also available on a selective basis.

The second track known as the Specialty Training and Advanced Research (STAR) track offers trainees the same comprehensive clinical training over 2 years with additional intensive research training in an innovative career track. This STAR program is intended for physicians committed to academic careers. The UCLA Department of Medicine offers Ph.D. training combined with fellowship training as part of the research training. STAR Awardees complete clinical training toward board certification in cardiology as well as research training to complete a masters, PhD or a postdoctoral fellowship under the guidance of a faculty advisory panel representing the awardee's clinical and research interests. The Ph.D. is completed over a three to four year period for total of five to six year training period. A Masters of clinical research is completed over a two to three year period for a total of four to five year training period. Additional sub-specialty training is also available on a selective basis.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: UCLA CTSI
Director(s): Moira Inkelas (HPM), Alex Bui & Douglas Bell (Clinical Informatics)
Contact Name: Lisa Chan
Contact Email: lchan@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-3706

UCLA CTSI offers two post-doctoral programs, the Clinical Informatics Fellowship and the Translational Science Postdoctoral Fellowship.

UCLA CTSI Clinical Informatics Fellowship

Launch your career in the new subspecialty of clinical informatics, focusing on health information technology within health care delivery systems. Open to physicians who are board-certified or board-eligible in any specialty.

The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Health are seeking outstanding applicants for a two-year fellowship in Clinical Informatics (CI) at the University of California, Los Angeles. The program is open to graduates of residency programs in any specialty.

UCLA CTSI TL1 Translational Science Postdoctoral Fellowship

The UCLA CTSI TL1 Translational Science Postdoctoral Fellowship is awarded to physicians and nurses who are pursuing training in the Department of Health Policy and Management in the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Fellows receive mentored training to ensure the translational nature of their dissertation projects. The goal of the fellowship is to provide postdoctoral fellows with the investigative skills to create new knowledge about health services.

TL1 Translational Science Postdoctoral Fellows receive an annual stipend commensurate with their NRSA PGY level, as well as funding for tuition/fees and training-related travel. The fellowships are renewable for up to two years in 12-month increments, contingent on satisfactory degree progress.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: UCLA CTSI
Director(s): Mitchell Wong
Contact Name: Lisa Chan
Contact Email: lchan@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-3706

The KL2 Award Program develops leaders in clinical research. Scholars are trained to design and oversee research in multidisciplinary team settings, skills critical to a successful career in translational science and the overall mission of the NIH.

Candidates are junior faculty, including clinical instructors and assistant professors, from CTSI partner institutions (i.e., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles Biomedical Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and UCLA). They must possess a doctoral-level research or professional degree and the potential to lead multidisciplinary teams. Scholars receive up to five years of support for mentored, multidisciplinary, patient-oriented research and training.

In the first phase of training, scholars learn how to design and conduct clinical research studies as part of a team of scientists encompassing several disciplines. During the second phase of their training, scholars design and conduct clinical research projects under the guidance of mentors who have extensive experience in conducting clinical research. This training grant is unique, as all team members, including nurses, pharmacologists, biostatisticians and epidemiologists, learn together.

The award is designed to meet an important goal of UCLA CTSI: To provide the next generation of scientists with the training they need to conduct interdisciplinary research that impacts human health.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Psychiatry/Biobehavioral Sciences
Director(s): Keith Nuechterlein
Contact Name: Fe Asuan
Contact Email: Fasuan@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-8980

The training program focuses on developing research scientists who focus on cognitive and affective dysfunctions in psychotic disorders. The program will utilize a training model that emphasizes the skills needed to bring concepts and paradigms from cognitive science and cognitive, social, and affective neuroscience into patient- oriented, clinical research on core deficits in neurocognition, social cognition, and emotion in schizophrenia and related psychoses. Direct mentoring interactions with both clinical investigators and cognitive scientists/neuroscientists wil be a key feature of this program, with the focus being on development and implementation of clinical research with individuals with psychotic disorders and those at risk for such disorders.

Co-mentoring by clinical investigators and cognitive scientists/neuroscientists will ensure the development of an understanding of the principles and methods for adapting paradigms for use in research on psychotic disorders. Additional training themes of this program will be an emphasis on research on the links between core cognitive and affective dysfunctions and functional outcome in psychotic disorders and on research that examines these processes across prodromal, first episode, and chronic phases of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.

The new training program will focus on individuals with Ph.D. in clinical psychology, cognitive science, cognitive neuroscience, or affective neuroscience, and on individuals with an M.D. followed by a psychiatric residency who plan to pursue a research career. The training program will include (1) extensive hands-on training in the development and implementation of translational clinical research on cognitive and affective dysfunctions in psychotic disorders through interactions with the co-mentors, (2) a weekly Research Seminar on the Psychosis taught jointly by clinical researchers and cognitive scientists/neuroscientists, (3) a monthly Research Career Development Seminar, (4) an intensive regional career development retreat, (5) coursework, workshops, and laboratory training tailored to individual research interests, and (6) training in responsible conduct of research. The training will be closely interfaced with a number of clinical research opportunities that allow access to research participants with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.

Administrative Department: Medicine - Dermatology
Director(s): Robert Modlin & Bill Lowry
Contact Name: Jennifer Serpas
Contact Email: JSerpas@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-794-9554

T32 Dermatology Scientist Training Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA is designed to prepare outstanding predoctoral (Medical Scientist Training Program [MSTP] candidates only) and postdoctoral trainees (MD, PhD, and MD/PhD) for academic research careers in Dermatology at a time of declining numbers of physician-scientists nationwide. During the initial 5-year period, with 2 predoctoral and 2 postdoctoral trainees per year, each for a 2- or, if indicated, 3-year appointment with protected research time, this new training program will fill a critical need for research training in a diverse range of research areas pertaining to skin biology, including immunology, metabolism, and computational biology, enhancing collaborative basic and translational research at UCLA.

In response to this need, the interdisciplinary curriculum and mentored research opportunities of the new program interweave the scientific expertise and mentoring experience of 33 high-quality multidisciplinary faculty who are committed to collaborative, team- based science. The new career development program will leverage the resources of the UCLA MSTP, Specialty Training and Advanced Research (STAR) Program, and Training Program in Translational Science for the core curriculum.

The aims of the UCLA Dermatology T32 program are to: i) expand the multidisciplinary knowledge base of dermatology as it relates to different aspects of skin diseases; ii) provide didactic and hands-on research training in the intellectual and philosophical foundation of dermatological investigation within the broader clinical-translational research enterprise; iii) develop trainees' scientific writing skills for publications and grants; iv) provide an academic environment that enables development of the research skills and experience needed for successful, independent scientific careers in academic medicine; and, v) model research-empowering teaching and mentoring skills for trainees' development, including their eventual replication of research education, training, and career development programs in skin biology as their careers evolve into stable, scientific independence. Overall, the proposed T32 carves out a unique niche not only within the health sciences training/career development enterprise at UCLA as an integrated program focused on both basic scientists and physician scientists in investigative dermatology but also among NIAMS-supported T32 programs in dermatology nationwide through its innovative leveraging of a university-wide program, the STAR Program, to develop the careers of physician scientists, combining clinical and research training.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Medicine - Gastroenterology
Director(s): Dennis Jensen (director), Yvette Tache (co-director) and Joseph Pisegna (co-director)
Contact Name: Nok Suvanamas
Contact Email: ksuvanamas@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-268-3893

This is to maintain six (either MD's or PhD's) trainee positions. Post-graduate trainees are recruited from UCLA STAR (Specialized Training in Academic Research) Program, adult UCLA GI Fellowship Training Program, the Pediatric GI Training Program, the General Surgery Department (for research track trainees), and from UCLA affiliated Ph.D. training programs. This NIH T32 Training Grant has been funded continuously since 1974 and Dennis M. Jensen, M.D. has been the PI/Director since 2000. In the last 10 years, 31 trainees were enrolled.

Among the 26 (17 MD's, 3 PhD's, and 6 MD/PhD's), who will have graduated from the T32 training by July 2015,100% completed at least 1 year of mentored research and 92% (24/26) completed 2 or 3 years of research training. 6 of them obtained further support for research and/or career development, including 3 K08's, 1 K01, and 1 from ACG Foundation. Research awards were 2 from CCFA, 1 R03, and 1 as a CURE Pilot and Feasibility Grant. For the 26 trainees (3 PhD's and 23 MD's or MD/PhD's) who will have completed all their post-MD training before July 2015,, 20 (77%) will hold an academic, teaching, or laboratory research position. For these 26 trainees, 12 completed additional graduate degrees during T32 training and those were 4 PhD's and 8 Masters degrees (MS or MPH). They are significantly enhancing the academic and scientific environment. For T32 trainees who completed 1 or more years, 57% published at least one peer-reviewed research paper (median number for those publishing was 3).

The administrative structure of the Training Grant has evolved during the past 10 years to maximize productivity and satisfaction plus emphasize successful career pathways for all trainees. The leadership of this training grant is well balanced. The PI is a clinical and outcomes researcher and the co-Director, Dr. Yvette, is a renowned researcher in neuroscience. The Executive Committee ensures that all research trainees are closely supervised and allowed to give feed-back throughout their career development. Trainees enroll in formal courses and research seminars to expand their scientific knowledge. The UCLA STAR program has the added dimension of requiring Masters or Ph.D. degrees as part of the research training and career development. This training serves as the foundation and model for a highly evolved and successful UCLA Research Training Program in Gastroenterology. Continued support is needed to maintain the quality and productivity of this program to train future academicians in digestive diseases.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Molecular and Medical Pharmacology
Director(s): Ren Sun
Contact Name: Shumin Wu
Contact Email: ShuminWu@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-2153

Developments in virology have led to the development of several classes of therapeutics, including treatments or prevention of microbial infection and gene therapy. Gene therapy holds the promise of therapeutic options for a variety of diseases. A key issue in gene therapy is the development of gene delivery vehicles that evade immune or inflammatory response, are non-toxic, and target the gene effectively. To fulfill the national need for these types of therapeutic options, the UCLA Virology and Gene Therapy Training Program aims to provide a unique and outstanding environment for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees pursuing research careers in fields related to gene therapy. This program will establish a solid training in fundamental virology and its applications in gene therapy.

The research interests of our faculty encompass viral entry, viral gene expression regulation, replication of viral genome, cell biology during viral infection, viral particle assembly, viral carcinogenesis and viral immunology, as well as designing novel vectors and tracking viral vectors in vivo. With strong basic research programs on retroviruses, adenoviruses, SV40, hepatitis C, poliovirus, influenza virus and herpesviruses, our faculty has been and will be continuously developing viral vectors from these viruses and monitoring gene expression in vivo using non-invasive imaging technologies in combination stem cell biology.

The trainees will be exposed to clinical and diagnostic issues during their training to underscore the therapeutic applications of their research projects, and be encouraged to form translational collaborations with basic and clinical mentors. This bridge in training environment will enhance the translation from basic science to clinical application in gene and cellular therapy. The training program constitutes 1) original research work with one or more of our faculty; 2) formal course work which provides comprehensive background on virology and gene therapy; and 3) regular research conferences and seminars, presented by invited guest speakers, faculty members and trainees; 4) training in best practices in research, responsible conduct and career development.

The training committee will select trainees via a competitive process. Appointments are renewable with satisfactory progress (up to 2 years predoctoral, 1 year postdoctoral). The training program is fully integrated with the reorganized PhD programs in biosciences at UCLA. The progress of the trainees and the program are reviewed periodically. At UCLA, this rigorous training program with emphasis on vertical integration of basic sciences and therapeutic applications produces the scientists required for long-term development of virology and gene therapy.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Health Services
Director(s): Thomas Rice
Contact Name: Yayoi Roth
Contact Email: ysroth@ph.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-983-1355

The Los Angeles Area Health Services Research Training Program (LAAHSRTP) postdoctoral fellowship is a joint initiative of the Department of Health Policy and Management at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, RAND Health, The USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, and the V.A. Los Angeles Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation and Policy. It is supported by a T-32 grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The program provides comprehensive training and experience to highly-qualified postdoctoral trainees so that they may effectively engage in and lead research and implementation activities aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of the U.S. health care system.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics
Director(s): Patricia Johnson
Contact Name: Patricia J. Johnson  
Contact Email: johnsonp@ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-4870

The UCLA Microbial Pathogenesis Training Grant provides the foundation for an integrated research training program in the biochemistry, cell biology & genetics of microbial pathogens and host-pathogen interactions. The program's goal is to train scientists to conduct research in microbial pathogenesis using molecular, cellular, genetic, immunological, genomic and post-genomic approaches. Our training faculty includes 23 preceptors with a broad range of related research interests in the areas of bacteriology, parasitology, virology, and immunology. Faculty preceptors have excellent publication, funding and training records. The program, first funded in 1988 was continually funded for 25 years until 2013. The program is small, with six predoctoral and two postdoctoral funded positions; yet it plays a vital role, not limited to trainees, in educating PhD students and postdoctoral fellows in the field of microbial pathogenesis at UCLA. Most of our predoctoral trainees are recruited through the Biosciences Program (BSP) which will provide an excellent pool of ~45 - 55 predoctoral students yearly. In recent years >30% of entering PhD students express interests in microbiology, immunology and host:pathogen interactions.

Our faculty are also highly successful in attracting qualified postdoctoral fellows, having >10 postdoctoral fellows eligible for support in any given year. Trainees are selected for funding on a competitive basis, after a thorough review of their academic and research accomplishments. Progress is reviewed at least twice a year and appointments are renewed yearly with a maximum of three years of support for predoctoral trainees and two years for postdoctoral trainees. The training program requires the completion of coursework focused on microbial pathogenesis, annual presentations of trainee research in symposia attended by all trainees and training preceptors, participation in a Microbial Pathogenesis seminar series composed of external, preeminent scientists in the field & associated literature discussions.

Trainees also participate in a journal club focused on host:pathogen interactions and newly emerging infectious agents. These journal clubs are jointly facilitated by training preceptors and trainees and serve to broaden trainee education. Participation in a course devoted to ethics and accountability in biomedical research and [a scientific writing course] is also required. [All trainees will be required to develop career objectives guided by "My Individual Development Plan (IDP)".] [Postdoctoral trainees are also required to participate in the PhD Career Training Series and research-related career focused workshops. Career counseling by the program director and training grant advisory committee is also emphasized.] Annual research presentations at national meetings and UCLA scientific retreats are expected. The focal point of our training program is excellence in research. Several mechanisms are in place to monitor and facilitate trainee progress in research and career development. Our past training efforts have been successful and continued success is anticipated following the plan described in this proposal.

Administrative Department: Integrative Biology & Physiology
Director(s): Rachelle Crosbie-Watson & Carrie Miceli
Contact Name: Rachelle Crosbie-Watson
Contact Email: rcrosbie@physci.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-794-2103

Muscle cell biology is an area of exciting growth in translational medicine. The muscular dystrophies are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of conditions characterized by progressive muscle degeneration. Translational research in the muscular dystrophies is expanding, as academic and industry partnerships yield new potential treatments that are currently being assessed in clinics around the world.

The goal of the Muscle Cell Biology, Pathophysiology, and Therapeutics program is to capitalize on the momentum that arose from this explosion of translational research. The training program will capitalize on and bridge the talents of muscle cell biologists and translational experts to provide trainees with a broad education based in basic science and exposure to many aspects of disease-related research. The Muscle Cell Biology, Pathophysiology, and Therapeutics program is designed to train the best possible young scientists to lead the muscle biology community in the next phase of discovery and translational muscle science. Trainees conduct research projects under the supervision of primary mentors and participate in the CDMD training activities, including biweekly data meetings, journal clubs, and the annual CDMD scientific retreat.

We encourage the recruitment, retention, and training of scholars who are members of underrepresented groups and diverse specialties and with disabilities. Program co- Directors, Rachelle Crosbie-Watson, Ph.D. and M. Carrie Miceli, Ph.D., can address further questions about the program and applicant qualifications.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Semel Institute
Director(s): Mary Jane Rotheram-Borus
Contact Name: Roxana Rezai
Contact Email: rrezai@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-794-2715

CHIPTS is seeking PhD and MD postdoctoral scholars for an NIMH-funded T32 training program in HIV combination prevention and its comorbid conditions, focusing on novel technologies and reducing health disparities. UCLA faculty with expertise in HIV combination prevention will partner with trainees to offer an intensive and innovative, behaviorally-focused training experience that includes additional academic training, participation in research projects, and professional development, with a strong emphasis on technical writing, grant preparation and networking.

This T32 HIV training grant aims to attract, fund, and train 12 post-doctoral trainees over 5 years who can be leaders in developing and implementing a novel behavioral and social science agenda for combination prevention, utilization of new technologies, and reducing health disparities in HIV. The specific goals of the two to three-year program are to:

• Provide focused, interdisciplinary mentoring to 12 post-doctoral trainees in the field of HIV prevention and treatment, especially in terms of conceptualization and design, writing, and project management
• Engage trainees in two to three years of intensive hands-on research projects under the supervision of faculty mentors experienced in HIV research
• Support trainees’ development and implementation of their own research projects, leading to their own grant proposals and multiple publications
• Link trainees to a broad network of HIV researchers, creating opportunities for later career advancement and knowledge of cutting edge research.
• Offer the opportunity for one additional course per quarter for one year to remediate deficit skills.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Medicine - Infectious Diseases
Director(s): Judith Currier & Pamina Gorbach
Contact Name: Janell Moore
Contact Email: jndmoore@ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-6094

The Division of Infectious Diseases of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA is pleased to offer its Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Program in Global HIV Prevention Research as a way to prepare physician, social, behavioral, and professional scientists for academic research careers focused on understanding and preventing HIV disease globally. The program is funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) through a T32 mechanism, and supports 2 new fellows each year--one a physician specializing in adult or pediatric infectious diseases, and one a social/behavioral scientist or a graduate with a doctoral degree from a relevant professional field (such as psychology, public health, public policy, sociology, anthropology, biological sciences, etc).

The fellowship lasts 3 years, and a successful graduate of the training program will have secured a master's degree (or completed equivalent work); completed at least one major HIV prevention research project in a developing country; participated in other research projects; made a research presentation in at least one major scientific conference; published as a first author in leading scientific journals; and received a multiyear grant related to HIV prevention in the developing world to take into a first faculty position.

Original research is the heart of the fellowship, and our efforts are focused on ensuring that fellows successfully transition into independent investigators. In Year 1, fellows design a research protocol and also write the first draft of an initial grant. They will also have access to large data sets and engage in secondary data analyses and submit papers for publication.

Academic training will focus on the completion of a master's degree in public health, public policy, or clinical research from UCLA (or completion of equivalent work). Fellows will learn the fundamentals of quantitative and qualitative research. In addition, fellows will participate in ongoing seminars, peer review, and relevant conferences. Professional development will focus on grant preparation, data analysis, manuscript preparation, presentation and teaching skills, and grant writing. We offer focused training in the ethical conduct of research, with an emphasis on the difficult and evolving issues of conducting research in resource-poor settings.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Medicine - Pulmonary Disease
Director(s): Steve Dubinet
Contact Name: Mary Ann Macaso
Contact Email: mmacaso@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-1964

The training program will continue to provide training in basic science and clinical research relevant to the study of PCCM-related diseases. The program proposes to continue to support a total of six postdoctoral trainees (M.D.s, Ph.D.s and M.D./Ph.D.s) for a two year experience in a highly structured environment under the close supervision of faculty mentors. The trainees will take advantage of experienced faculty mentors whose research encompasses themes of:

1. Infection/Inflammation/Transplantation (Belperio, Cheng, Deng, Horwitz, and Modlin)
2. Lung Carcinogenesis (Dubinett, Gomperts, and Sharma)
3. Iron Metabolism (Ganz, Nemeth)
4. Health Services Research and Prevention (London, Needleman, and Wenger)

The program will continue to utilize faculty mentors from several Departments in the DGSOM, and the School of Public Health at UCLA. The faculty mentors have extensive research experience in diverse yet overlapping areas of molecular and cellular biology, biostatistics, epidemiology, clinical study design or medical ethics. The faculty mentors have previously trained postdoctoral trainees, who have subsequently gone on to independent and productive careers in academia or industry. The environment at UCLA together with the faculty mentors will continue to offer an outstanding experience for trainees in research disciplines relevant to PCCM-related diseases.

The program will continue to provide a structured curriculum that contains appropriate course work, exposure to relevant lecture series and an intensive basic science or clinical research experience. The training program has been highly successful in developing new investigators with the vast majority of trainees continuing in research careers in academia or industry.

Administrative Department: Orthopedic Surgery
Director(s): John S. Adams
Contact Name: Gloria Kiel
Contact Email: gskiel@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-1394

The goal of this training program is to provide an in-depth understanding of regenerative musculoskeletal medicine in areas of investigation ranging from development biology and pathobiology to tissue repair and bioengineering. As the goal of this training grant is to foster the development of interdisciplinary scientists, trainees must have a co-mentor in a complimentary field.

Post-doctoral fellows typically enter the program in their second or third year and are required to complete academic and research activities with oversight from a faculty mentor and the training grant committee.

Selected trainees are eligible for up to two years of consecutive funding.

The training program is open to any UCLA postdoctoral fellow that: 1] has the equivalent of a clinical (e.g., MD or DDS) or PhD doctoral degree; 2] has documented a commitment to an academic career in biomedical musculoskeletal research; and 3] possesses US citizenship or permanent residency in the US.

Emphasis is placed on conducting research in special populations, including women, children, geriatric persons, and members of ethnic minority groups. Candidates from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, those with disabilities and/or individuals from economically or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds are strongly encouraged to respond.

Preference will be given to those with at least one year of postdoctoral training experience. The latest timing of the application round can be viewed at - UCLA Regenerative Musculoskeletal Medicine Training Program Application

Learn more →

Administrative Department: : Medicine (General Internal Medicine-Health Services Research) – Primary; Kaiser Permanente Southern California (Michael Gould, MD, MS, is a MPI on a subcontract.)
Director(s): Michael Ong, MD, PhD (UCLA/VA Greater LA Healthcare System) and Michael Gould, MD, MS (Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena)
Contact Name: Michael Ong
Contact Email: Mong@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-794-0154

Funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the Stakeholder-Partnered Implementation Research and Innovation Translation (SPIRIT) K12 Program constitutes a unique partnership among UCLA, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, and Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, bringing into alignment four distinctive health care systems that are collaboratively supporting mentored postdoctoral research career development of the next generation of interdisciplinary team members, leaders, and innovators in patient-centered outcomes research within learning health systems.

SPIRIT is designed to prepare outstanding postdoctoral scholars (including MD, PhD, MD/PhD, ScD, DrPH, and PharmD) for academic research careers focused on rapid and sustainable uptake of new scientific discoveries and innovations that improve the design, delivery, and outcomes of care for chronic diseases at the individual, population, and health care system levels.

In the current era of declining numbers of health scientists nationwide, particularly among clinical providers, and of expanding need to bridge research and practice across diverse real-world settings of health services and systems as well as demographically diverse populations, SPIRIT is filling a critical need for research on a broad range of issues in the generation, dissemination, and implementation of clinical evidence and advancing the goals of increasing the pace and volume of innovation in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of chronic diseases to facilitate and advance learning health systems.

In response to the challenges of better understanding variation in practice and outcomes and the barriers of T4 translation, the interdisciplinary curriculum and mentored hands-on research opportunities of the SPIRIT K12 program interweave the scientific expertise and mentoring experience of high-quality multidisciplinary investigators who are committed to collaborative, team-based cross-training and research in health services and patient-centered outcomes, clinical epidemiology, and dissemination and implementation.

SPIRIT leverages topically germane resources of education, training, and career development programs extant among the four partners for the core curriculum and protected time, foremost, the UCLA National Clinician Scholars Program, to achieve the following specific aims:

• (1) expand the multidisciplinary knowledge base of evidence-based practice and learning health systems as it relates to different aspects of chronic disease care across the clinical spectrum;
• (2) provide didactic and hands-on research training/career development in the intellectual and philosophical foundation of rapid translation of evidence into practice within the broader research enterprise of translational medicine;
• (3) develop scholars’ scientific writing skills for presentations, publications, and grants;
• (4) provide an academic environment that enables development of the research skills and experience needed for successful, independent scientific careers as members and leaders of interdisciplinary teams dedicated to improving patient and population outcomes and health system performance; and
• (5) model research-empowering teaching and mentoring skills for scholars’ development, including their eventual replication of research education, training, and career development programs in health system stakeholder-partnered improvements of chronic disease care as their careers evolve into stable, scientific independence.

Administrative Department: Semel Institute
Director(s): Nelson Freimer
Contact Name: Yoon Jung
Contact Email: yjjung@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-794-6427

The Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics administers tightly integrated predoctoral and postdoctoral training programs in neurobehavioral genetics, funded by NIMH and NINDS respectively. Pre, Post programs emphasize training in human studies as well as in investigations of a wide range of model organisms, and incorporate state of the art approaches to neurobehavioral phenotyping, experimental and quantiative genetic analysis, and genomics. Pre, Post programs seek to enroll trainees who will enhance diversity, and individuals with disabilities and/or from disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to apply. The encouragement of diversity in training programs is a UCLA-wide goal. For more details about campus resources relating to diversity see http://www.diversity.ucla.edu The Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics is accepting nominations of candidates for the NINDS-funded postdoctoral training program in neurobehavioral genetics and the NIMH-funded predoctoral training program in neurobehavioral genetics.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Pediatrics - Hematology/Oncology
Director(s): Kohn Donald
Contact Name: Alice Del Rosario
Contact Email: adelrosario@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-4616

Studies in pediatric blood disorders provide an important paradigm for understanding the fundamental mechanisms regulating hematopoiesis. Unlike adult hematologic disorders, many pediatric diseases result from intrinsic genetic defects that control blood cell development or function. Very little is understood about the molecular pathogenesis of many of the hematologic diseases in children. At UCLA, we have a tremendous resource of interdisciplinary investigators whose research focuses on a wide spectrum of topics related to developmental hematology. Therefore, we propose a unique training program that focuses specifically on pediatric hematologic diseases by integrating a variety of disciplines, including molecular and cellular hematopoiesis, alternative organism models, stem cell transplantation, hemostasis and thrombosis, transfusion medicine, novel technologies in proteomics/genomics, hematologic malignancies, therapeutics, and mathematical modeling.

Given the declining number of physician-scientists in Pediatric Hematology, a training program in Developmental Hematology is critical to advance the field. In this application, we seek funding for 4 postdoctoral fellows per year for 5 years. The fellows will be either MDs, MD/PhDs, or PhDs. Trainees will have the opportunity to develop research in one of the 22 faculty member's laboratories. Trainees will be selected from a pool of approximately 20 to 30 postdoctoral fellows based on their academic potential and research achievements. Appointments will be for two years, the second year appointment being dependent on a progress report. Trainees will be required to participate in multidisciplinary journal clubs, a course on coagulation, and seminars. They will also take a required course on Developmental Hematology through the Department of Pathology. Pediatric Hematology/Oncology trainees will be expected to meet with their Scholarship Oversight Committees every 6 months to monitor progress and productivity. They will present their work at national meetings. Many investigators have pre- existing collaborations and publications. We hope to utilize the strengths of UCLA, including the breadth and depth of investigators across many disciplines, to train future researchers and leaders in the field of Pediatric Hematology.

Administrative Department: Pathology
Director(s): Oliver Hankinson
Contact Name: Oliver Hankinson
Contact Email: ohank@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-2936

The thirty faculty of our interdepartmental PhD in Molecular Toxicology Program come from sixteen different departments in the School of Medicine, the Fielding School of Public Health, and the College of Letters and Science at UCLA. Members of our faculty also participate in the activities of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the newly established California Nanosystems Institute. Areas of particular strength in our program include chemical carcinogenesis, repair of DNA damage, air pollution toxicology, nanotoxicology, and the environmental causation of Parkinson's disease. The program is supported by a training grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Our program is now in its seventeenth year. Students from our first ten years (2001-2010) have all graduated.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Semel Institute
Director(s): James McCracken & John Piacentini
Contact Name: James McCracken & John Piacentini
Contact Email: jmccracken@mednet.ucla.edu; piacentini@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-0470; 310-206-6649

The UCLA Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, a clinical, research, and training Division within the Semel Institute, offers postdoctoral research fellowships positions in our NIMH-funded T32 Training Program in child and adolescent mental health treatment research. Post-doctoral level individuals (Ph.D. or M.D.) with research interests across the broad spectrum of child, adolescent and family interventions research (including translational methods, mechanisms or biomarkers of treatment outcome, clinical trials methodology, treatment dissemination and service utilization) are invited to apply. The program takes advantage of the strengths of the Division and Department’s 20 specified faculty mentors, two NIMH research center grants (autism, cognitive treatments), and a wealth of extramurally funded treatment studies to provide a diversity of training opportunities. The program is designed to provide training for those individuals interested in academic careers in patient-oriented, child mental health studies. Located on the UCLA campus, the program also utilizes the wealth of other training resources available in the broader campus community, including obtaining training through the UCLA K30 Training Program in Translational Research, coursework available throughout the university, and an array of other advisors, laboratories, seminars, and patient populations.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Medicine - Infectious Diseases
Director(s): Yang, Otto O.
Contact Name: Shitoma Izumi
Contact Email: ishitoma@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-8373

The goal of this T32-supported program is to train Infectious Diseases MD or MD/PhD postdoctoral fellows at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in translational pathogenesis research in HIV-1 and other viral diseases. With a huge global disease burden of viral diseases (such as HIV-1 and viral hepatitis C) and increasing basic scientific research, a key bottleneck for developing successful therapies and vaccines is translational research. There is therefore a pressing need for qualified physician-scientist researchers who can work from bench to bedside. Given the overall strength of UCLA in translational/basic HIV-1 research and basic virology research, our training program is predominately focused on HIV-1, with opportunities for fellows to pursue translational pathogenesis studies on other viruses as well. We have assembled a highly selected group of faculty members to serve as potential mentors, spanning several UCLA departments. Trainees are encouraged to take full advantage of the numerous collaborations between participating basic science and clinical faculty in order to create unique translational research opportunities.

Research mentors have active IRB protocols to recruit subjects for the study of HIV and HCV pathogenesis, are actively involved with human trials for novel antiviral therapeutics, and are studying virtually all aspects of HIV-1 pathogenesis. Many faculty mentors are also studying fundamental virology of other viruses such as Hepatitis C Virus and Herpesviruses. Our program supports MD trainees (leading to a PhD) or MD/PhD trainees (seeking formal postdoctoral training) as part of their Infectious Diseases subspecialty training, with significant contribution from the Department of Medicine Specialty Training in Advanced Research (STAR) Program that provides structured scientific and career training. This T32 training program supports one well-qualified trainee each year. We provide trainees with significant protected research time so that they may develop independent research interests and secure independent funding. The ultimate goal of this training program is for all our trainees to succeed as independent investigators. The first three years supported by this T32 have demonstrated our success in drawing quality physician trainees and providing them with the outstanding environment and resources to develop academic careers in basic translational virologic research.

Administrative Department: Pediatrics
Director(s): Isidro Salusky
Contact Name: Isidro Salusky
Contact Email: isalusky@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-6987

The proposed Translational Research Training in Pediatric Nephrology T32 program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA is designed to prepare outstanding postdoctoral scholars (MDs and/or PhDs) for academic research careers in Pediatric Nephrology and aligned disciplines, at a time of declining numbers of physician-scientists nationwide and of expanding need for improved understanding and management of chronic disease care. During the initial 5-year period, with 4 postdoctoral trainees per year, each for a 2- or, if indicated, 3-year appointment, this new training program will fill a critical need or research focused on a diverse range of developmental issues in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and will advance the goals of interdisciplinary collaboration across the T1-T4 spectrum of translational medicine through rigorous cross- training in the different concepts and methods of basic, clinical, and population- and laboratory-based approaches to CKD, including assessment of health care system impact through health services research and policy analysis. Over the last several decades, major advances have occurred in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of kidney diseases in childhood, altogether resulting in the increased life span of such patients. This success has, however, brought new health status challenges, such as cardiovascular disease (the leading cause of death), muscle-skeletal problems, growth retardation, infections, and allograft loss, among others, all of which are optimally addressed from a developmental perspective.

In response to these challenges, the interdisciplinary curriculum and mentored, hands-on research training of this new program encompass the biomedical and clinical sciences, including comparative effectiveness and patient-centered outcomes research, interweaving the scientific expertise and mentoring experience of 35 high-quality multidisciplinary faculty who are committed to collaborative, team-based science. The new training program will leverage the resources of the UCLA Specialty Training and Advanced Research Program, Training Program in Translational Science (former K30), and existing K12, T32, and R25 programs for the core curriculum and protected time, all collectively geared to achieve the following specific aims: (1) expand the multidisciplinary knowledge base of life and health sciences as it relates to different aspects of pediatric kidney diseases; (2) provide didactic and experimental research training in the intellectual and philosophical foundation of clinical-translational research; (3) develop trainees' scientific writing skills for publications ad grants; (4) provide an academic environment that enables development of the research skills and experience needed for successful, independent scientific careers in academic medicine as members and leaders of interdisciplinary teams in cross-cutting research domains germane to Pediatric Nephrology; and (5) model research-empowering teaching and mentoring skills for trainees' development, including their eventual replication of research training programs in life-span CKD and co-morbidities as their careers evolve into stable, scientific independence.

Administrative Department: Pathology
Director(s): Gay Crooks & Owen Witte
Contact Name: Andrew Aldapa
Contact Email: aaldapa@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-1770

The overarching goal of the Tumor Cell Biology Training Program (TCB-TP) is to equip the next generation of cancer biologists and clinician scientists with the tools essential for innovative research. Recent improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer have been driven by the translation of paradigm-shifting basic research into clinical settings. Continued progress toward complete remission or cure of all cancer types will require an intensified effort on multiple fronts. For this to occur, it is essential that the next generation of cancer researchers have the knowledge, analytical tools, and critical thinking skills to integrate diverse fields of biology. In addition, it is imperative that basic science researchers be able to access and integrate the insights being generated by clinical researchers. We undertake this mission using two complementary approaches. The first is to provide comprehensive training in the fundamental and emerging mechanisms of tumor biology and the range of tools available to study these processes. The second is to provide a forum in which basic studies in tumor biology are viewed within the context of their relevance to diagnostics and therapeutics. These objectives are achieved through the participation of trainees and faculty with a diverse range of scientific interests and expertise in both basic and translational research. The training program brings together three pre-doctoral and five post-doctoral trainees, who are supported for at least two years while they conduct mentored research projects. Trainee mentors are drawn from twenty-four Ph.D. and M.D. program faculty members who are affiliated with 12 different UCLA departments, and whose areas of research include cancer-initiating cells, transcriptional regulation, tumor micro-environment, metabolism, computational biology, and cell division. A monthly seminar series brings together trainees and faculty to critically discuss research data presented by each trainee. The program leadership invites at least one translational and/or clinical investigator who has expertise in the topic under discussion and can contribute a clinical perspective to the seminar. One-on-one meetings between program leadership and trainees are designed to provide feedback on seminar content and effectiveness of the presentation, encourage trainees to discuss their progress and plans, and offer trainees an opportunity to express any concerns about their training environment. A written Individual Development Plan is completed annually by trainees and reviewed with the PIs and co-investigator. Courses on ethics and reproducibility in research are mandatory for all trainees. The Tumor Cell Biology Training Program will be jointly directed under the multi-PI mechanism by Dr. Gay M. Crooks and Dr. Owen N. Witte, senior academic leaders at UCLA with well established programs in basic and translational research. The program enjoys strong campus support from, among others, the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Broad Stem Cell Research Center. The PIs are assisted by co-investigator John Colicelli, and strategic oversight to the grant is provided by Internal and External Advisory Committees.

Administrative Department: Pathology
Director(s): Michael Teitell
Contact Name: Andrew Aldapa
Contact Email: aaldapa@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-206-1770

The program provides training in all aspects of tumor immunology research. We propose to continue supporting a total of nine trainees (3 predoctoral, 6 postdoctoral) in a highly structured research training environment under the supervision of experienced and highly productive faculty mentors. Over the past 35 years, the UCLA Tumor Immunology Training Program (TITP) has bridged training in the fields of cancer and immunology, and is the sole UCLA training program integrating fundamental laboratory- based immunology with clinical oncology. For many years the TITP has remained vital through the recruitment of new faculty members from different departments into the program. In the next funded period, the focus on tumor immunology training is strengthened by including only topic-related faculty in the program. The TITP has leveraged UCLA's internationally recognized standing as a major center in clinical trials utilizing immunotherapy and genetic immunotherapy against a variety of cancers. Additional training leverage is provided by a top scoring Clinical Science Translational Institute (CTSI), directed by Dr. S Dubinett, who is a co-director of the TITP. The training program has been highly successful in developing new investigators with ~85-90% of trainees continuing research careers in academics or industry. Thus, the TITP continues as a strong complement of basic, translational, and clinical investigations in tumor immunology at UCLA.

A multitude of unique, interactive, and highly integrated activities in tumor immunology serve as an outstanding resource for our trainees. The TITP emphasizes training in the cellular, molecular, and genetic mechanisms of tumor cell-host immune interactions. At Pre, Post the predoctoral and postdoctoral levels, the TITP main goals are to: 1) identify and support outstanding trainees with a high level of interest and focus in tumor immunology research, 2) train scientists to conduct cutting-edge research in fundamental and clinical tumor immunology, 3) provide trainees with a solid background in the biological sciences with an emphasis in fundamental immunology, biochemistry, biology, genetics, and now also stem cell biology and nanotechnology, 4) facilitate career development by helping predoctoral trainees choose postdoctoral fellowships and obtain support, and by guiding postdoctoral trainees in obtaining positions in academia and industry, 5) acquaint and support trainees' interdisciplinary action and research opportunities, 6) introduce novel and significant projects for which beneficial outcomes will be derived, 7) acquaint trainees with state-of-the-art research through the training grant-supported fundamental and tumor immunology seminar series and associated journal clubs, and 8) provide trainees with regular opportunities to present their own research in seminar form and receive critical feedback from the training grant faculty and scientific community beyond UCLA by supporting trainee presentations at tumor immunology-related national and international meetings.

Administrative Department: School of Dentistry
Director(s): Ichiro Nishimura, DDS, DMSc, DMD
Contact Name: Ichiro Nishimura, DDS, DMSc, DMD
Contact Email: inishimura@dentistry.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-794-7612

UCLA Dental Specialty PhD Program (UCLA DSPP) is a new career development program for a small but selected group of dentists who pursue the dual training in dental specialty clinical training and rigorous scientific research training leading to the specialty certificate and PhD degree. UCLA DSPP Scholars are expected to take the leadership role in advancing patient-oriented challenges facing the current and future of dentistry.

Dental Specialties involved in the DSPP:

UCLA School of Dentistry postgraduate programs include highly sought after and competitive ADA-recognized specialty programs listed below, which are accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and have been granted the accreditation status of "Approval without Reporting Requirements”. All dental specialty programs are affiliated with the Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center and supported by Graduate Medical Education (GME) with competitive residency stipend.

• Endodontics
• Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Orthodontics
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Periodontics
• Prosthodontics (optional Maxillofacial Prosthetics)

PhD research areas:

The School of Dentistry is at the forefront of oral biology research. UCLA DSPP Scholars may participate in a wide range of research areas listed below towards PhD degree in Oral Biology.

• Oral Cancer & Cancer Biology
• Craniofacial Biology &Bioengineering
• Oral Microbiome & Immunity
• Oral Dental &Craniofacial Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine
• Big Data to Knowledge for Oral, Dental & Craniofacial Research
• Neuroscience & Neuronal Molecular Pathology
• Public Health & Community Dentistry

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Epidemiology
Director(s): Pamina Gorbach & Marjan Javanbakht
Contact Name: Julie Saulny 
Contact Email: jsaulnyu@ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-6093 

The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Cambodia increased sharply in the 1990s, reaching upwards of 40% among high-risk populations.2 While the prevalence rate declined to approximately 0.9% by 2006, it remains inflated among high-risk groups.3 In the wake of the epidemic, the Cambodian government initiated national data collection and disease monitoring efforts that have produced rich, longitudinal data from HIV/AIDS treatment and surveillance programs. However, a shortage of professionals trained to manage and interpret these types of data, persists. The UCLA Department of Epidemiology and the Cambodian University of Health Sciences (UHS) propose a program to train a cohort of Cambodian public health professionals in the management, analysis and evaluation of secondary data. Trainees will have two tracks from which to choose. The UCLA MS/MPH track requires coursework in epidemiologic methods and principles, biostatistics, data management, behavioral sciences and HIV/AIDS epidemiology. This track also requires completion of a master's project that must be relevant for HIV/AIDS policy development in Cambodia. The UCLA PhD track requires trainees complete core courses in epidemiology as well as courses in logic, causation and probability, the biology of HIV/AIDS, graduate statistics and pass a qualifying exam. Trainees then carry out a dissertation in Cambodia that is relevant to HIV/AIDS policy. The overall program will be assessed based on trainee progress and matriculation rates; thesis/dissertation quality, policy relevance and the proportion published; the program's impact on UHS recruitment rates and trainee placement in national HIV/AIDS monitoring and data analysis roles.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Human Genetics and Pediatrics
Director(s): Stanley Nelson  
Contact Name: Charina McDonald  
Contact Email: cmcdonald@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-267-2487 

This T32 is to support research-oriented trainees and guide them to become independent, productive investigators through training in a broad, in-depth educational program covering all aspects of human genetics, molecular biology, cell biology and related fields.

The program has three thematic areas: 1. Genomic Medicine, 2) Phenotyping in the Genomic Era, 3) Therapy for Genetic Diseases. Trainees will receive basic research training in medical genetics of the highest quality and sufficient intensity and duration to produce independent productive investigators. Each fellow will develop his/her own independent research program under the guidance of his/her research mentor(s). Trainees will obtain experience in designing and performing research projects, writing up and presenting the results at meetings, and writing manuscripts and grants.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Medicine
Director(s): Neil Wenger, MD, MPH
Contact Name: Neil Wenger or Victor Gonzalez
Contact Email: nwenger@mednet.ucla.edu, vgonzalez@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-794-2288

The UCLA NRSA Primary Care and Health Services Fellowship stresses development of primary or ambulatory medicine physicians into independent investigators in health services research or epidemiology. This is accomplished through formal class work in the UCLA School of Public Health, an informal series of seminars led by local experts, and the development, implementation, and completion of an original, independent research project.

The fellowship provides physicians with the necessary skills to become effective and creative leaders in shaping health care and health policy. Fellows complete the program with doctoral level training in the skills necessary to conduct high quality research and policy analysis, including training in clinical epidemiology, health services research, program evaluation, and biostatistics.

Fellows also have access to advanced training in a wide variety of specific areas of interest such as medical informatics, geriatrics and women’s health. All fellows complete a core curriculum including: Formal course work, usually leading to a degree, at the UCLA School of Public Health; Informal course work in fellowship seminars; and Completion of an independent research project.

Each fellow chooses a social scientist and a clinician to serve as mentors for designing and completing a research project. Mentors include well-known investigators from any of the four affiliated program locations, including the UCLA Schools of Medicine and Public Health, the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (including campuses at West Los Angeles and Sepulveda) and the RAND Health Program.

Fellows experience the kind of collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment most likely to foster successful health services research. Opportunities are available to study almost any aspect of health services or health policy, including access to care, quality of care, clinical epidemiology, disparities, preventive care, palliative care, women’s health, clinical ethics, and the care of patients with specific diseases or psychological problems.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Semel Institute
Director(s): Edythe London
Contact Name: William Chu
Contact Email: williamchu@mednet.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-0606

The UCLA Translational Neuroscience of Drug Abuse (TNDA) Program set forth to link several successful UCLA research centers by establishing a unified training program. Each year, applications are accepted for Pre, Post pre- and postdoctoral fellowships (12-month, renewable appointments).

The program is funded by a NIDA T32 Training Grant and provides trainees with the integrative knowledge base needed to conduct bidirectional translational studies including cutting-edge technical laboratory methods, computational approaches in data evaluation, and issues related to ethical treatment of human subjects. TNDA trainees will have a research project in a specific mentor’s laboratory, but will gain exposure to other areas of drug abuse research through laboratory rotations, common core training elements as well as by formal and informal interaction among key faculty and TNDA leadership.

Successful researchers must also become adept at identifying sources of research funding and at preparing fundable applications that can further their independent investigation. TNDA trainees will receive didactic training and mentoring in these important areas, with emphasis on skills in scientific writing and presentation to enhance dissemination of research findings.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Chemistry and Biochemistry
Director(s): Michael Carey & Tracy Johnson
Contact Name: Erin Sanders
Contact Email: eruns@ceils.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-1783

The UPLIFT Program at UCLA supports postdoctoral scholars in the biological sciences who have a demonstrated interest in teaching, research, and supporting diversity in STEM fields. UPLIFT combines a traditional mentored postdoctoral research experience with an opportunity to develop academic skills, including teaching, with pedagogical training provided through CEILS workshops and CIRTL courses, as well as faculty mentored teaching assignments at our partner institution, California State University Los Angeles (CSULA). The program is expected to facilitate the progress of postdoctoral candidates toward research and teaching careers in academia. The program is sponsored through Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award (IRACDA), supported by the division of NIGMS at NIH. A major goal of IRACDA is to produce a workforce in STEM with a strong commitment to teaching diverse undergraduates, particularly at institutions that have a history of training students underrepresented in higher education. In addition to motivating the next generation of scientists at our partner institution, another goal of IRACDA is to foster interactions between UCLA and CSULA faculty that can lead to further collaborations in research and teaching.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology
Director(s): Luisa Iruela-Arispe
Contact Name: Luisa Iruela-Arispe
Contact Email: vbtp@mbi.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-794-5763

The main objective of the Vascular Biology Training Program is to develop the next generation of cardiovascular biologists. The program places a strong emphasis on creativity, networking and self-motivation to develop independent scientists who will make significant contributions to biomedical research and be an asset to the institutions and communities they serve.

To achieve these goals we have developed a strong mentorship approach, novel didactic components and incorporated high exposure to medicine. UCLA houses a tremendous resource of interdisciplinary groups whose research focuses in vascular biology. The group includes 27 laboratories that currently offer training to 124 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. It is this community that constitutes the pillars of a unique training program for the next generation of investigators in this area of research.

The Program is funded by a grant from the NHLBI that supports pre- and post-doctoral trainees for three and two years respectively. The program also features a highly interactive seminar series with outside speakers and several seminar venues for discussion of science by trainees and UCLA investigators. We invite you to drive through the website and get to learn more about our program and recent accomplishments.

Learn more →

Administrative Department: Jules Stein Eye Institute
Director(s): Alapakkam Sampath
Contact Name: Alappakam Sampath
Contact Email: asampath@jsei.ucla.edu
Contact Phone: 310-825-2024

The Vision Science Training Program (VSTP) has its home in the Jules Stein Eye Institute (JSEI), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine, and has been continuously active for more than 40 years. During this period the VSTP has trained nearly 140 scientists, a large portion who have gone on to distinguished careers in vision science. The Program covers the training of Pre, Post predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows, and takes place in the laboratories of 14 faculty mentors. These vision scientists possess expertise in a wide range of disciplines and hold academic appointments in 13 departments at UCLA. Applicants for predoctoral fellowships first enter UCLA through one of several graduate programs, and they complete the curriculum associated with that program. After a year of rotations they join the laboratory of a VSTP mentor.

Applicants for postdoctoral fellowships apply directly to the VSTP lab of interest. All trainees that are members of VSTP labs are invited to participate in the curricular offerings of this program. These offerings are collectively designed to provide experimental and conceptual training in vision science, as many of the trainees have no prior experience in vision science. All fellows are required to take Fundamentals of Vision Research, a quarter-long course organized and taught by VSTP members. Additionally fellows are integral members of the scientific environment at JSEI through attendance and participation in a number of events, including the weekly Vision Science Seminar Series, the Vision Science Journal Club, and the Annual Vision Science Retreat held in Lake Arrowhead. A particular focus of the VSTP for this grant period is the stronger integration of basic and clinical science. Several offerings will help bridge the gap between these two research focuses by facilitating interactions between the scientists and the clinicians, including the Annual UCLA Stein Eye Clinical and Research Seminar, Translational Grand Rounds, and a Basic-Clinical Science Exchange program. Such experiences will help trainees to place their research into the context of visual health and disease.

A major addition to the VSTP will be a dedicated program focused on the postdoctoral trainees, to support their transition to independent investigators. An NRSA F32 Training Course will be offered to all postdoctoral fellows in VSTP labs to provide formal training in how to craft and submit an effective NIH research proposal. Given the interdisciplinary nature of vision research, the overall goal of the VSTP is to bring together faculty with a wide range of expertise (including anatomy, biochemistry, biophysics, chemistry, molecular biology, physiology, pharmacology, cell biology, and developmental biology) to provide interdisciplinary experimental and conceptual training to predoctoral and postdoctoral candidates seeking to develop careers in vision science. Continued funding of the VSTP will permit the JSEI to carry on its critical mission of training the next generation of first-rate basic and clinical vision scientists.

Learn more →