In 2020, voters in California approved $5.5 billion in funding for stem-cell research. This funding allowed for the Bridges program to continue and our university- CSU Channel Islands, was one of several institutions to have received a $3.6 million "CIRM Graduate Student Training in Stem Cell Sciences" award in 2021, lasting until 2026. This has allowed us to continue offering a rigorous and highly productive training grant for our graduate students within the existing Stem Cell Technology and Laboratory Management (SCTLM) emphasis in the MS Biotechnology degree program.
For the training program in this emphasis, each year 10 MS Biotechnology students are supported by CIRM for a total of 50 interns over 5 years. Because the team has well-established collaborative relationships with local biotechnology firms and research institutions, the instructors include not only academic faculty, but also senior scientists, professionals, and experienced business managers at local biotech companies. Our training program requires students to complete a set of six common core courses as well as three required courses focusing on molecular cell biology, bioinformatics, genomics and proteomics, stem cell culture techniques, cell culture facility management, regenerative medicine, project management, biotech law & regulation and an internship. These courses are being offered in various formats-in-classroom, online, seminar, full lecture/lab and 1-year internship and thus allow students to experience the full benefits of a diverse educational regimen. In addition, students are also required to complete 2 elective courses from a pool of 15 electives offered. As a result of this roadmap, interns complete more than 400 hours of coursework and also learn about the research of stem cell experts through a seminar course that typically invites 10-12 researchers from CIRM funded institutions. Before the start of the internship students are required to complete a week long intensive stem cell training workshop offered at an off-site location, typically in the summer. The most valuable experience for the students is the 1-year internship whereby they acquire skills in stem cell techniques, work on an original independent research project, establish collaborations with other scientists in the field, network with peers and project themselves as skilled researchers in stem cell technology. Thus, the curriculum within this emphasis consistently offers students a variety of options to expand their knowledge and lab skills in stem cell sciences. In addition to didactic instruction and the internship, the interns also participate in auxiliary activities in four areas- healthcare and patient engagement, community outreach, educational enhancement and career development. In addition, in collaboration with the Americans for Cures foundation, our students are also involved in patient advocacy programs. Our interns also partnered with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) to complete several volunteer activities. However, a few volunteer activities could not be completed in 2021-2022 due to the Covid pandemic..
CSUCI has established a mentor database from a plethora of host institutions that conduct world-class research such as the Scripps Research Institute, Salk Institute, the Beckman Center at City of Hope, Loma Linda university, Stanford, UCSB, USC, UCR, UCSD, UCSC, UCSF, UCD, UC Merced, Cedars-Sinai Center, the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Stanford university. The CIRM Bridges award has provided us the opportunity to avail of these institutions as training sites which has proven to be an excellent platform for the students to fulfill the unmet need for highly qualified technical personnel in stem cell research technology. Interns have frequently been offered employment by these host institutions after finishing their internships and this reflects the confidence that researchers are placing in our interns. Graduating interns tend to continue their scientific endeavors and fulfill the need for stem cell biologists in California. Future endeavors of our interns have been varying- with several opting for the industry, some continuing to work in the academia while others pursuing PhD programs.
The training program has directly made a key contribution to the stem cell efforts supported by the people of California as evidenced by our interns’ interest in pursuing future research in the stem cell areas either via seeking employment in the R & D sectors of stem cell based biotech companies or labs in academia and also pursuing PhD programs. Our interns have spoken at community events held on our campus and increased the transparency of the SCTLM emphasis and CIRM funded research. This training program made possible by the CIRM Bridges award has gained tremendous popularity at CSUCI and continues to garner wide interest. In summary, our Year 1 interns under this grant have successfully completed their internships and achieved their goals.
Reporting Period:
Year 2
In 2020, voters in California approved $5.5 billion in funding for stem-cell research. This funding allowed for the Bridges program to continue and our university- CSU Channel Islands, was one of several institutions to have received a 5-year $3.6 million "CIRM Graduate Student Training in Stem Cell Sciences" award in 2021. This has allowed us to continue offering a rigorous and highly productive training grant for our graduate students within the existing Stem Cell Technology and Laboratory Management emphasis in the MS Biotechnology degree program.
For the training program in this emphasis, each year 10 MS Biotechnology students are supported by CIRM for a total of 50 interns over 5 years. Because the team has well-established collaborative relationships with local biotechnology firms and research institutions, the instructors include not only academic faculty, but also senior scientists, professionals, and experienced business managers at local biotech companies. Our training program requires students to complete a set of six common core courses as well as three required courses focusing on molecular cell biology, bioinformatics, genomics and proteomics, stem cell culture techniques, cell culture facility management, regenerative medicine, project management, biotech law & regulation and an internship. These courses are being offered in various formats-in-classroom, online, seminar, full lecture/lab and 1-year internship and thus allow students to experience the full benefits of a diverse educational regimen. In addition, students are also required to complete 2 elective courses from a pool of 15 electives offered. As a result of this roadmap, interns complete more than 400 hours of coursework and also learn about the research of stem cell experts through a seminar course that typically invites 10-12 researchers from CIRM funded institutions. Before the start of the internship students are required to complete a week long intensive stem cell training workshop offered at an off-site location, typically in the summer. The most valuable experience for the students is the 1-year internship whereby they acquire skills in stem cell techniques, work on an original independent research project, establish collaborations with other scientists in the field, network with peers and project themselves as skilled researchers in stem cell technology. Thus, the curriculum within this emphasis consistently offers students a variety of options to expand their knowledge and lab skills in stem cell sciences. In addition to didactic instruction and the internship, the interns also participate in auxiliary activities in four areas- healthcare and patient engagement, community outreach, educational enhancement and career development. In addition, in collaboration with the Americans for Cures foundation, our students are also involved in patient advocacy programs. Our interns also partnered with the National Marrow Donor Program to complete several volunteer activities. However, in-person volunteer activities in a healthcare setting could not be completed in year 2 due to ongoing Covid restrictions being practiced by the local hospitals in our area
CSUCI has established a mentor database from a plethora of host institutions that conduct world-class research such as the Scripps Research Institute, Salk Institute, City of Hope, Loma Linda university, UCSB, USC, UCR, UCSD, UCSC, UCSF, UCD, UCI, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Children’s Hospital of LA and Stanford university. The CIRM Bridges award has provided us the opportunity to avail of these institutions as training sites which has proven to be an excellent platform for the students to fulfill the unmet need for highly qualified technical personnel in stem cell research technology. Interns have frequently been offered employment by these host institutions after finishing their internships and this reflects the confidence that researchers are placing in our interns. Graduating interns tend to continue their scientific endeavors and fulfill the need for stem cell biologists in California. Future endeavors of our interns have been varying- with several opting for the industry, some continuing to work in the academia while others pursuing PhD programs.
The training program has directly made a key contribution to the stem cell efforts supported by the people of California as evidenced by our interns’ interest in pursuing future research in the stem cell areas either via seeking employment in stem cell based biotech companies or labs in academia and also pursuing PhD programs. Our interns have spoken at community events held on our campus and increased the transparency of the SCTLM emphasis and CIRM funded research. This training program made possible by the CIRM Bridges award has gained tremendous popularity at CSUCI and continues to garner wide interest. In summary, our Year 2 interns under this grant have successfully completed their internships and achieved their goals.
Reporting Period:
Year 3
CSU Channel Islands received a 5-year $3.6 million "CIRM Graduate Student Training in Stem Cell Sciences" award in 2021 which is enabling us to train 50 graduate students in the area of stem cell sciences over the period of five years. Currently we are in Year 4 of the grant cycle, having provided a rigorous and productive training to 30 interns within the existing Stem Cell Technology and Laboratory Management (SCTLM) emphasis in the MS Biotechnology degree program. We admit 15 students in this program and the top 10 students receive the CIRM Bridges training award.
Our training program within the stem cell emphasis requires students to complete a set of six common core courses as well as three required courses focusing on molecular cell biology, bioinformatics, genomics and proteomics, stem cell culture techniques, cell culture facility management, regenerative medicine, project management, biotech law & regulation and an internship. These courses are being offered in various formats-in-classroom, online, seminar, full lecture/lab and 1-year internship and thus allow students to experience the full benefits of a diverse educational regimen. In addition, students are also required to complete 2 elective courses from a pool of 15 electives offered. As a result of this roadmap, interns complete more than 400 hours of coursework and also learn about the research of stem cell experts through a seminar course that typically invites 10-12 researchers from CIRM funded institutions. Our instructors include not only academic faculty, but also senior scientists, professionals, and experienced business managers from the industry. The key component of the emphasis is of course the year-long internship which is offered through a course that has to be taken for satisfying the degree requirements. Before the start of the internship, students are required to complete a week long intensive stem cell training workshop offered at an off-site location, typically in the summer. In the internship, students acquire skills in stem cell techniques, work on original supervised research projects, establish collaborations with other scientists in the field, network with peers and project themselves as skilled researchers in stem cell technology. Thus, the curriculum within this emphasis consistently offers students a variety of options to expand their knowledge and lab skills in stem cell sciences. In addition to didactic instruction and the internship, the interns also participate in auxiliary activities in four areas- healthcare and patient engagement, community outreach, educational enhancement and career development. In addition, in collaboration with the Americans for Cures foundation, our students are also involved in patient advocacy programs. Our interns have partnered with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) to complete several volunteer activities. Volunteer activities in a healthcare setting/local hospitals could not be completed in year 3 due to the inability of these institutions in accepting volunteers.
CSUCI has established a mentor database from 17 host institutions that conduct world-class research such as the Scripps Research Institute, Salk Institute, City of Hope, Loma Linda university, UCSB, USC, UCR, UCSD, UCSC, UCSF, UCD, UCI, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Children’s Hospital of LA, Sanford-Burnham Medical Discovery Institute and Stanford university. The CIRM Bridges award has provided us the opportunity to avail of these institutions as training sites which has proven to be an excellent platform for the students to fulfill the unmet need for highly qualified technical personnel in stem cell research technology. Interns have frequently been offered employment by these host institutions after finishing their internships (typically as research associates and in some cases as scientists and lab managers) and this reflects the confidence that researchers are placing in our interns. Graduating interns tend to continue their scientific endeavors and fulfill the need for stem cell biologists in California. Future endeavors of our interns have been varying- with several opting for the industry, some continuing to work in the academia while others pursuing PhD programs. The training program has directly made a key contribution to the stem cell efforts supported by the people of California as evidenced by our interns’ interest in pursuing future research in the stem cell areas either via seeking employment in stem cell based biotech companies or labs in academia and also pursuing PhD programs. Our interns have spoken at community events held on our campus and increased the transparency of the SCTLM emphasis and CIRM funded research. This training program made possible by the CIRM Bridges award has gained tremendous popularity at CSUCI and continues to garner wide interest. In summary, our Year 3 interns under this grant have successfully completed their internships and have achieved their goals.
Grant Application Details
Application Title:
CIRM Graduate Student Training in Stem Cell Sciences in the Stem Cell Technology and Lab Management Emphasis of the MS Biotechnology Program
Public Abstract:
CSUCI has led the way in developing the most successful professional biotechnology master’s program in the California State University system, as well as an innovative Master of Science (MS) Biotechnology and MBA dual degree program. The degree structure permits students to custom-design their curriculum under an advisor’s guidance, making the degree especially relevant for students employed in today’s diverse biotechnology workplace. Together, these programs have a current enrollment of regionally and demographically diverse students. The applicant campus has graduated 428 MS students; all are either employed in the biotech industry, academic sector or pursuing doctoral degrees. In the past six years, 122 students have been extensively trained in stem cell sciences within the Stem Cell Technology and Lab Management (SCTLM) emphasis as a result of a robust curriculum and partnerships with 16 different institutions providing year-long internship opportunities to CI students. With a curriculum requiring students to take cutting-edge courses in the areas of molecular sciences, genomics, proteomics, quality assurance, biotech law, management and stem cell techniques, the applicant campus’s students are assured of receiving excellent training.
For the training program in this emphasis, each year 10 MS Biotechnology students will be supported by CIRM for a total of 75 interns over 5 years. Because the team has well-established collaborative relationships with local biotechnology firms and research institutions, the instructors include not only academic faculty, but also senior scientists, professionals, and experienced business managers at local biotech companies. The applicant campus is committed to continuing this innovative public-private partnership in support of the MS Biotechnology program and the stem cell emphasis in particular. Through innovative programs embedded within the applicant campus’s curriculum important career tracks are provided for students in the STEM disciplines with the potential to become one of the most successful and sustainable programs in the CSU system; a key contributor to fulfilling a critical need for highly qualified technical and managerial personnel in stem cell research technology.
Continuation of this training program will directly make a key contribution to the stem cell efforts supported by the people of California as evidenced by the applicant campus’s interns’ interest in pursuing future research in the stem cell areas either via seeking employment in the R & D sectors of stem cell based biotech companies or via applying to a PhD program. Our interns have spoken at community events held on our campus and increased the transparency of the SCTLM emphasis and CIRM funded research. This training program has gained tremendous popularity on the applicant campus in the past several years and future support will prove to be instrumental in recruiting the best students to augment the California scientific workforce.
Statement of Benefit to California:
Students completing the stem cell emphasis in our MS Biotechnology degree will be qualified to pursue careers that require knowledge of state-of-the-art scientific principles and knowledge underlying advances in biotechnology along with legal and intellectual property issues. The program is not only comprehensive, but prepares the students to be effective managers in biotechnology-related companies, agencies and organizations by giving them the knowledge and skills needed to advance in science and business roles, thus directly benefiting the state of California in a variety of professions. Our Master of Science in Biotechnology and Master of Business Administration is an innovative dual degree program that blends key components of biological sciences and business at the graduate level. Students receiving training in the stem cell sciences and completing an MBA will directly contribute to the regional and national needs of a well-educated workforce in the stem cell technology industry which is subject to heavy layers of regulation.
The proposed program will enable us to provide extensive stem cell training to our students in world-class labs, allowing them to learn sophisticated stem cell techniques under the tutelage of experts and work on projects directly contributing to the study, treatment and potential cure of diseases. In addition to didactic training, students will receive opportunities to interact with health advocacy groups and patients, thus enabling them experience with the non-classroom component of the program. Students will be able to enhance the visibility of stem cell research and potential therapies via a variety of community outreach events, thus bridging the gap in the transfer of knowledge from lab to California citizenry. As a result of its rigor and quality, the training program will provide a highly rewarding scientific experience to our interns.
Since 2004, CIRM has handed out (as of June 2020) $2.7 billion in grants to California scientists studying a variety of diseases, including diabetes, AIDS and leukemia. It has built several research facilities, funded more than 60 clinical trials and helped create more than 56,500 jobs in the state. The California workforce is directly benefited as a result of influx of skilled stem cell researchers in the market. This is a clear reflection of how a training program dedicated to students is capable of reaping big benefits. California is now home to the largest publicly available stem cell bank in the world and maintenance of these cell lines requires personnel who have received adequate and comprehensive training. These cell lines are valuable in understanding and modeling human diseases as well as in the areas of regenerative medicine. Students funded by the proposed training program will play a major role in enhancing California’s image in the stem cell areas and educating the citizens about the promising potential of stem cells.
