The eigth year of the San Diego State University (SDSU)/CIRM Stem Cell Internship Program has provided ten interns with the technical skills and the experience to work in the field of regenerative medicine. These students have worked directly with stem cells or cancer stem cells. Student interns have studied such topics as telomerase stability in cancer, nuclear architecture and retrotransposition in neural stem cells, CRISPR/Cas9-based gene therapies for hemophilia B, transdifferentiation and genetic reprogramming of pancreatic cancer stem cells, and signal transduction pathways in cardiac and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. The interns carried out their research at leading institutes in San Diego, including the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, the Scripps Research Institute, The Sanford/Burnham Medical Research Institute, and the University of California, San Diego. Many of these students, due to their diverse backgrounds, would have otherwise not had access to research at this level. As a result of their training, they will bring their knowledge of regenerative medicine into a great many areas of public interest, including basic and translational research, the biotech industry, and medicine and dentistry.
Our students have also become representatives for the field of regenerative medicine as well as for SDSU and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. We believe strongly that they will continue to represent the field of regenerative medicine in their future endeavors as well. Student interns have attended several meetings at both the regional and international level, including the Annual Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa and the Annual Meeting for the International Society for Stem Cell Research, where they met with experts in the field and also presented their own research as part of the poster sessions. Because these student interns have had extensive training and experience in state of the art laboratories, as well as opportunities to share their newly gained knowledge, their expertise will strengthen the field of stem cell research in California, and beyond. Our Program has benefited the state of California by increasing the pool of young investigators and contributing to basic and translational studies designed to produce new medical treatments.
Reporting Period:
Year 2
The San Diego State University (SDSU)/CIRM Stem Cell Internship Program (BSCRIP) has successfully trained ten interns in the past year with the technical skills and the experience to work in the field of regenerative medicine. These students have worked directly with stem cells or cancer stem cells. Student interns have studied such important topics as telomerase stability in cancer, nuclear architecture and retrotransposition in neural stem cells, CRISPR/Cas9-based gene therapies for hemophilia B, transdifferentiation and genetic reprogramming of pancreatic cancer stem cells, and signal transduction pathways in cardiac and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. The interns carried out their research at leading institutes in San Diego, including the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, the Scripps Research Institute, The Sanford/Burnham Medical Research Institute, and the University of California, San Diego. Many of these students, due to their diverse backgrounds, would not have otherwise had access to research at this level. As a result of their training, they will bring their knowledge of regenerative medicine into a great many areas of public interest, including basic and translational research, the biotech industry, and medicine and dentistry, and they advance in their career goals.
Our students have also become representatives for the field of regenerative medicine for SDSU and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). We believe strongly that they will continue to represent the field of regenerative medicine in their future endeavors as they progress. Student interns have attended several meetings at both the regional and international level, including the Annual Meeting for the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), where they met with experts in the field and also presented their own research as part of the poster sessions. Because these student interns have had extensive training in state-of-the art-laboratories, their newly gained knowledge and expertise will strengthen the field of stem cell research in California, and beyond. Our Program has benefited the state of California by increasing the pool of young investigators and contributing to basic and translational studies designed to produce new medical treatment strategies for regenerative medicine.
Grant Application Details
Application Title:
Bridges to Stem Cell Research Internship Program
Public Abstract:
The Bridges to Stem Cell Research Internship Program will build upon the past success of our ongoing Internship Program which has significantly expanded the pool of personnel with the expertise necessary to undertake careers in regenerative medicine. Highly competitive trainees will be recruited from the university’s diverse student populations, which include individuals from socio-economically disadvantaged communities, to attain essential expertise in regenerative medicine. A highly optimized curriculum for Trainees at the home institution includes a regulatory affairs course providing information about healthcare product regulation and development, a stem cell journal club course, colloquia and community outreach activities designed to provide students with educational and patient engagement opportunities, and participation in a biomedical ethics course. Trainees will complete a comprehensive, externally-provided laboratory training course which includes hands-on maintenance and characterization of induced pluripotent stem cells within a state-of-the-art Training Center designed by noted experts in the field. Trainees will complete a 12-month internship experience at one of four partnering stem cell research institutions located nearby, or at local biotechnology companies specializing in human stem cell research and development. During the internship period, Trainees will attend research seminars, meet and present their scientific progress at monthly colloquia with other trainees and participating host mentors and scientists, and present scientific posters encompassing their data at local and regional scientific meetings. The proposed program will also include a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan to ensure diverse inclusive perspectives and personal experiences during the implementation of the program, and ensure outreach and recruitment of qualified persons for training who are representative of the diverse and different socio-economic backgrounds in the California population. The culmination of the training program will include a written thesis and oral thesis defense for graduate-level trainees, a final Poster Presentation Symposium, and participation at the Annual CIRM Bridges Meeting. The training program will enable students of diverse background to contribute their knowledge and technical skills developed upon completion of the training period to the great promise of stem cell-based treatment therapies for patients.
Statement of Benefit to California:
Stem cell-based treatment strategies represent the future of medicine for patients with unmet medical needs. Continued progress in the development and administration of these new therapies not only require ongoing basic and translational research, but also a sustainable approach whereby the next generation of scientists and technicians build upon the initial success of previous scientific accomplishments. The continuation of our ongoing training program will contribute to the generation of knowledgeable and well-trained scientists and technicians by providing hands-on research experiences in combination with rigorous academic curricula. The internship has been carefully crafted to increase the number of young investigators and technicians with varied career goals by recruiting students representing California’s diverse population who can contribute to the development of stem cell based therapies and accelerate their eventual delivery to patients benefiting by these powerful new approaches.
