There are currently three T32 training grants that support students with an interest in genetics and/or computational biology. In addition, the Medical Scientist Training Program (integrated MD, PhD) and the KL-2 Program of the Iowa Institute for Clinical and Translational Science provide support to a broad spectrum of students, including several working on genetics research. This cluster hire will provide new faculty to support these existing training programs and enable them to remain competitive for future external support as well.
T32 Genetics Predoctoral Training Program
The Genetics PhD Program at the University of Iowa, supervised by Daniel Eberl, PhD, is a broadly based interdisciplinary program that incorporates cutting-edge techniques to answer the foremost questions facing biology, medicine, evolution and bioinformatics. The Genetics PhD Program is designed to provide both a core curriculum in genetics and sufficient flexibility to fit students' individual needs. It provides research opportunities across the spectrum of genetics, and fosters strong independent thinking to equip students to meet modern challenges of doctoral graduates.
T32 Statistics in Microbiology: Infectious Diseases and Bioinformatics Predoctoral Training Program
This program, supervised by Kathryn Chaloner, PhD, recognizes that biological research is increasingly quantitative, often with large amounts of data, and biological science PhD trainees need more statistical training to collect and analyze genomic data appropriately. Similarly, biology is increasingly complex at the molecular level, and the next generation of biostatisticians need deeper and more thorough understanding of biology than they did in the past. Biostatistics PhD students in the program study microbiology and immunology and complete laboratory rotations with a faculty mentor and a peer mentor in the lab. Microbiology and immunology PhD students learn biostatistics and complete statistical projects related to their research with a faculty and a peer mentor in biostatistics. Both groups of trainees learn bioinformatics and statistical genomics. In this way, trainees learn early in their career to bring their disciplinary expertise into a cross-disciplinary collaboration.
T32 Computational Biology Predoctoral Training Program
This program is supervised by Tom Casavant, PhD, who has appointments in the College of Engineering and the Carver College of Medicine and accepts students with either a computational or biological sciences background into a PhD program that provides training in both. The goal is to create a cadre of new investigators fluent in both biology and computer sciences who can work at the interface of genetic analysis, technology and disease.
TL1 Program- Institute for Clinical and Translational Science
This program facilitates training of scholars in PhD programs in translational science. Augmentation of the genetics curriculum with ethics, clinical research design, clinical trials and bioinformatics is coordinated through the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science.
Other Training Programs
In addition, graduate students in many other programs including the Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics, Neuroscience, Immunology, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Biology, Biosciences, Biostatistics, Statistics, Microbiology, Public Health and Nursing frequently undertake work that relates to genetics.