During the reporting period, we have contributed and strengthened the future of stem cell research in California in several ways. The most immediate and direct impact has been in the students that were trained as Bridges interns. There were 10 students that were specifically trained in stem cell research and worked closely with the most talented and productive stem cell researchers in our region. These students come from diverse backgrounds, including ethnic representation, age and genders. These students are the future of stem cell research as they continue in their laboratories, complete their academic degrees or move onto advanced education. For example, we have students from the previous reporting period that are graduating with their undergraduate and graduate degrees and moving onto Ph.D. programs. These successes would not have been possible without the Bridges to Stem Cell Research training.
As part of our focus on training students in stem cell research and recruiting a diverse pool of applicants into the program, we performed several activities. We also held a stem cell retreat in June 2017 for incoming and outgoing Bridges interns. The outgoing Bridges interns showcased their research to the campus. We moreover had a workshop in November 2016 to prepare the next set of students that were preparing their applications to the program, so they can understand the requirements and goals of the program. Further, we held an intern:mentor mixer function in April 2017 at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute jointly with San Diego State University to acquaint cohort 9 interns with available mentors and the research conducted in their laboratories. The mixer was part of our ongoing colloquium held with San Diego State Bridges program, where in the interns showcased their research publicly to both sets of interns in the program; their mentors; and the public at different venues to bring community awareness. These different forums ensure that we train, recruit and support the science students and Bridges interns to successfully accomplish stem cell research.
As part of our goals to educate non-scientists in stem cell research in California, we have impacted hundreds of CSUSM students through a non-majors course called Trends in 21st Century Medicine. This course has a large stem cell component and is offered both semesters. Further, the Program Director and former interns have reached out to numerous high schools on Stem Cell Awareness day to speak to students in order to educate and reach a broader audience in California. Our interns also participated in the STEM in your Backyard and Super STEM Saturday, where they were educated the public about the importance of stem cell research.
Reporting Period:
Year 2
During the reporting period, we have contributed and strengthened the future of stem cell research in California in several ways. The most immediate and direct impact has been in the students that were trained as Bridges interns. There were 10 students that were specifically trained in stem cell research and worked closely with the most talented and productive stem cell researchers in our region. These students come from diverse backgrounds, including ethnic representation, age and genders. These students are the future of stem cell research as they continue in their laboratories, complete their academic degrees or move onto advanced education. For example, we have students from the previous reporting period that are graduating with their undergraduate and graduate degrees and moving onto Ph.D. programs. These successes would not have been possible without the Bridges to Stem Cell Research training.
As part of our focus on training students in stem cell research and recruiting a diverse pool of applicants into the program, we performed several activities. We also held a stem cell retreat in June 2017 for incoming and outgoing Bridges interns. The outgoing Bridges interns showcased their research to the campus. We moreover had a workshop in November 2016 to prepare the next set of students that were preparing their applications to the program, so they can understand the requirements and goals of the program. Further, we held an intern:mentor mixer function in April 2017 at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute jointly with San Diego State University to acquaint cohort 9 interns with available mentors and the research conducted in their laboratories. These different forums ensure that we train, recruit and support the science students and Bridges interns to successfully accomplish stem cell research.
As part of our goals to educate non-scientists in stem cell research in California, we have impacted hundreds of CSUSM students through a non-majors course called Trends in 21st Century Medicine. This course has a large stem cell component and is offered both semesters. Further, the Program Director and former interns have reached out to numerous high schools on Stem Cell Awareness day to speak to students in order to educate and reach a broader audience in California. Our interns also participated in Super STEM Saturday, where they were educated the public about the importance of stem cell research.
Reporting Period:
Year 3
In the past year, we have recruited with our community college partners, MiraCosta College and San Diego Miramar College, a cohort of diverse student interns that we have supported here at California State University San Marcos. These students performed stem cell research at local institutions, including UCSD, as well as biotechnology companies, such as Thermofisher. The students also engaged in community outreach at High Tech Middle North County and patient advocacy activities with American for Cures. This was part of a holistic program to train the next generation of stem cell scientists.
The composition of the 10th cohort reflects the diversity of our student population, including our partnering campuses, MiraCosta and San Diego Miramar Colleges. Of the 11 interns, 6 of them are women, 2 Asian and Pacific Islander, 1 African American/Black, 3 Caucasian, 4 Latino and 1 Decline to State. Fifty-five percent are first generation college students and range in age from 20-38. We therefore believe that the strategic partnering with the community college campuses, our own unique campus compositions, and our location in Southern California has allowed us to successfully recruit and support a diverse cohort of trainees.
Reporting Period:
Year 4
In the past year, we have recruited and trained a cohort of diverse student interns from our host campus at California State University and from our community college partners, MiraCosta College and San Diego Miramar College. These students performed stem cell research at local institutions, including UCSD, as well as biotechnology companies, such as Thermofisher. The students also engaged in community outreach at High Tech Middle North County and some were able to engage in patient advocacy in programs interns identified on their own. Despite shutdowns and other pandemic related closures, our interns were able to successfully complete their full year in virtual and limited face-to-face activities. This included successful poster presentations at the International Society for Stem Cell Research and Bridges annual conferences, both held virtually. The CSUSM intern experience is a holistic program to train the next generation of stem cell scientists.
The composition of the 11th cohort reflects the diversity of our student population, including our partnering campuses, MiraCosta and San Diego Miramar Colleges. Of the 10 interns, 7 of them are women, 2 Asian and American Indian, 1, Middle Easterner, 1 African American/Black, 5 Caucasian, and 1 Hispanic/Latinx. Six percent are first generation college students and 2 were military veterans with an age range from 20-41. Additionally, many of our interns are non-traditional students. We therefore believe that the strategic partnering with the community college campuses, our own unique campus compositions, and our location in Southern California has allowed us to successfully recruit and support a diverse cohort of trainees.
Reporting Period:
Year 5
California is a leader in advancing stem cell and regenerative medical research. Our CIRM Bridges to Stem Cell Research program is designed to create a pipeline for the training and development of the next generation of scientists in the field with a focus on enhancing diversity. The primary component is the placement of trainees at host site labs to engage in stem cell and regenerative medicine laboratory research projects. In the past year, we have recruited and trained a cohort of diverse student interns from our host campus at California State University San Marcos and from our community college partners, MiraCosta College and San Diego Miramar College. These students performed stem cell research at local institutions, including the University of California San Diego, The Salk Institute for Biologicial Sciences, and Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. They assisted in meaningful research contributions to areas in Alzheimer’s, microcephaly, lung development, and SARS-COV-2 infection in the central nervous system. Despite shutdowns and other pandemic related closures, our interns were able to successfully complete their full year in almost entirely face-to-face lab research activities. The interns were able to do research presentations at our research colloquia, the 2021 International Society for Stem Cell Research Annual conference, the CIRM Bridges Annual Trainee Meeting, and our Bridges Retreat, that were all held virtually due to the pandemic.
Our program is unique because we recruit regionally from CSUSM and two community colleges that offer extensive education opportunities in life sciences and biotechnology. Students attending these institutions are diverse. We train 10-11 students per year who are representative of our region and often remain in the area to join the scientific workforce. The composition of this cohort reflects the diversity of our student population, including our partnering campuses, MiraCosta and San Diego Miramar Colleges. Of the 11 students accepted for the internship, 8 of them were women, 5 were Hispanic, 2 identified as two or more ethnicities, 1 Asian, and 2 Caucasian. Additionally, a large proportion (73%) of our cohort were first generation college students.
We supplement the internship experience with K-12 outreach, patient engagement and advocacy, mentee training, education, and professional development programming. Some of these activities were highly impacted by the COVID-19 restrictions, especially outreach and patient advocacy. However, we were able to virtually offer an outreach activity to local Girl Scout troops and attend talks and seminars from patient advocates. Interns were able to hone their academic and career goals including building a resume to enable them to successfully join the local workforce once their internships ended. Seventy percent of our interns have secured continuing work in stem cell focused jobs in our region. Therefore, California will benefit from this additional pool of well-prepared stem cell scientists from diverse backgrounds that have a broad understanding of the benefits of stem cell research that will continue to advocate and accelerate California’s commitment to advancing stem cell research, treatments, and therapies for human diseases.
Grant Application Details
Application Title:
CIRM Bridges to Stem Cell Research and Therapy Training Grant
Public Abstract:
Stem cell biology has developed into a rapidly expanding technology offering novel therapeutic approaches to human disease. California has taken the lead in the development and expansion of these technologies. There is a critical need to recruit, educate, and train the next generation of scientists and individuals, who will work on achieving these goals. The focus of our program will be to recruit students from California’s large and diverse population, and to provide them with the educational and technical skills that will allow them to pursue careers in stem cell science. The strength of our proposal includes our ability to effectively utilize our location by recruiting students from our home institution and community college partners and train them effectively to carry out successful internships with our host institutions.
We will recruit and select a minimum of fifty students, ten students per year, from three different academic institutions. These students will then be matched with host internships labs through an interview process. Once the selection, interview, and mentor lab match is complete, students will be enter a 12-month internship experience at one of the labs mentioned above. During this time, they will be enrolled full-time at the originating institution and will attend a seminar series that merges science, patient advocacy, career exploration, and community engagement.
The greatest key to the success of our plan relies on our geographical location and the partnerships we established throughout our region. We have established long-standing partnerships with leaders in stem cell research in academia including the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, UCSD, and The Scripps Research Institute. In addition, our students will have the option to intern in premiere biotechnology companies including ThermoFisher Scientific, Stemedica, Organovo, and Genea Biocells. Furthermore, we will have a seminar series that will serve to educate the interns, the general student population and community on the progress and potential of stem cell research and the important role of patient advocacy. Our collaborative commitments with our community colleges, academic and industry partners will ensure the success of our students and ultimate progress in regenerative medicine.
We believe that through our fortunate geographical location, access to diverse students and research opportunities, and development of new programs, we will help to train exceptional prospects for the future stem cell science workforce in California.
Statement of Benefit to California:
Stem cell biology has developed into a rapidly expanding technology offering novel therapeutic approaches to human disease. California has taken the lead in the development and expansion of these technologies. There is a critical need to recruit, educate, and train the next generation of scientists and individuals who will work on achieving these goals. The focus of our program will be to recruit students from California’s large and diverse population and to provide them with the educational and technical skills that will allow them to pursue careers in stem cell science, including research and the development of therapies.
Our benefit to the state of California comes from increasing the stem cell science workforce available and educating the future generation about stem cells. We will train 50 new undergraduate and graduate students who will gain specific expertise in new and innovative stem cell research and therapies.
This proposal will greatly aid in the development of the future stem cell science workforce who will also have experience in regulatory affairs, community engagement and patient advocacy. These individuals will contribute to the diverse and evolving nature field of stem cell science in the State of California.
