Year 5 Supplemental

The SFSU Bridges program supports 10 master’s-level trainees annually for two different tracks: 1) a Master of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology with an emphasis in Stem Cell Biology (the “MS program”) for the academic-bound, and 2) a Professional Science Masters with a concentration in Stem Cell Science (the “PSM program”) for the industry bound. Trainees take core courses during the first year and participate in a week-long intensive Stem Cell Laboratory course taught by faculty at one of the host sites. In the second year, trainees conduct research for 12 months in a host lab. The program culminates with a Master’s thesis/project and manuscript submission.
The SFSU Bridges program appointed 10 trainees in 2020 for the Year 5 cohort class: seven were appointed in the summer of 2020, five on June 1st, two on July 1st, and one on December 1st 2020. Despite compounding challenges imposed by the end of the SFSU Bridges training award (May 31, 2021) and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, SFSU Year 5 Bridges trainees have made excellent progress toward the training goals set by CIRM and the SFSU Master’s program. Nine of the trainees have successfully completed a master’s degree, four have entered Ph.D. programs this fall and five are pursuing or applying for life science R&D career path. The last trainee aims to complete a master’s degree in early spring 2022.