Begun in 2006, City College of San Francisco's Stem Cell Technology Certificate Program was one of the first ever programs to specifically provide training in the field of stem cell biology. The goal of our program is to reach out to the diverse population of students and impart the knowledge, skills, and motivation for a rewarding career in stem cell research or related fields (such as medical/clinical laboratories involved with stem cell therapies). One of the key components to a successful program such as this is the internship component which would not be possible without CIRM. Once our students complete our program, they have the opportunity to work full time as an intern in a host research laboratory.
Our Stem Cell Technology Certificate program can be completed in 2 semesters. The focus of the coursework is hands-on skills and all of the courses are taught in the laboratory. Students will become familiar with many of the techniques used in research. We bring in guest instructors; scientists from both UCSF and Gladstone Institutes to ensure that the students are being taught about the most current and exciting work in the field. After they complete their coursework, they receive a certificate and are eligible to apply for an internship.
Each student intern will complete their own research project in the host laboratory. During the internship, the students take an additional support course where we continue to augment their training by featuring the development of relevant skills such as giving oral research presentations and journal clubs, reading scientific papers, analyzing data, troubleshooting and documentation. The students are encouraged to share and discuss their internship experiences in a supportive environment with their fellow interns. At the end of the internship, the student interns highlight their accomplishments with a scientific poster presentation at both a CCSF and a CIRM scientific conference.
Student projects have ranged from investigating cardiac disease by utilizing beating cells in a dish, finding differences in DNA expression in different types of stem cells, and creating new ways to study blood disorders by investigating bone marrow stem cells.
Our interns contributed to the basic research of stem cells including the study of differentiation, germ cell development, human embryogenesis and hematopoiesis, and the optimization of assays and disease models. While their contributions may have been small, introducing students to the rewarding field of stem cell biology research will have a lasting impact. We inspire these students, who come from all walks of life, to search for answers, to make discoveries, with the hope that their efforts may some day result in a cure and a better life. Most of our students who complete this program do continue on to have careers related to this field. Training and motivating these students will lead to a brighter future for us all.
Reporting Period:
Year 2
Begun in 2006, City College of San Francisco's Stem Cell Technology Certificate Program was one of the first ever programs to specifically provide training in the field of stem cell biology. The goal of our program is to reach out to a diverse population of students and impart the knowledge, skills, and motivation for a rewarding career in stem cell research or related fields (such as medical/clinical laboratories involved with stem cell therapies). One of the key components to a successful program such as this is the internship component which would not be possible without CIRM. Once a student completes our program, they have the opportunity to work full time as an intern in a local host research laboratory.
Our Stem Cell Technology Certificate program can be completed in 2 semesters. The focus of the coursework is hands-on skills and all of the courses are taught in the laboratory. Students will become familiar with many of the techniques used in research. We bring in guest instructors; scientists from both UCSF and Gladstone Institutes to ensure that the students are being taught about the most current and exciting work in the field. After they complete their coursework, they receive a certificate and are eligible to apply for an internship.
During this reporting period, our second cohort of 8 students (8th cohort historically) completed their scientific coursework and worked with Americans For Cures, a patient advocacy group, to relate the science they are doing in the lab to the real life patients whose lives they are changing. The students also developed short presentations for local high school and middle school students, as well as helping out with science fairs and promoting science at community events. After the core studies were completed, students completed research internships in host laboratories around the Bay Area while taking additional courses to support development of relevant skills such as giving oral research presentations and journal clubs, reading scientific papers, analyzing data, troubleshooting and documentation. At the end of the internship, students presented their research at both a CCSF and a CIRM scientific conference.
In the past, our interns contributed to the basic research of stem cells. Currently they have moved forward with translational projects, with their discoveries leading to the clinic and new possible therapies. Our interns acting as relatable ambassadors for stem cell research has helped people in the community understand the science a little better, learn more about exciting breakthroughs that are in the horizon, and give hope to many for a cure.
While their contributions may have been small, introducing students to the rewarding field of stem cell biology research will have a lasting impact. Most of our students who complete this program do continue on to have careers related to this field. Training and motivating these students will lead to a brighter future for us all.
Reporting Period:
Year 3
Begun in 2006, City College of San Francisco's Stem Cell Technology Certificate Program was one of the first ever programs to specifically provide training in the field of stem cell biology. The goal of our program is to reach out to a diverse population of students and impart the knowledge, skills, and motivation for a rewarding career in stem cell research or related fields (such as medical/clinical laboratories involved with stem cell therapies). One of the key components to a successful program such as this is the internship component which would not be possible without CIRM. Once a student completes our program, they have the opportunity to work full time as an intern in a local host research laboratory.
Our Stem Cell Technology Certificate program can be completed in 2 semesters. The focus of the coursework is hands-on skills and all of the courses are taught in the laboratory. Students will become familiar with many of the techniques used in research. We bring in guest instructors; scientists from both UCSF and Gladstone Institutes to ensure that the students are being taught about the most current and exciting work in the field. After they complete their coursework, they receive a certificate and are eligible to apply for an internship.
During this reporting period, our third cohort of 8 students (9th cohort historically) completed their scientific coursework and worked with Americans For Cures, a patient advocacy group, to relate the science they are doing in the lab to the real life patients whose lives they are changing. The students also developed short presentations for local high school and middle school students to outreach and promote science careers. Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions, much of the outreach activities were limited to online, but the student experience was enriched through additional lectures and activities. At the end of the internship, students presented their research via Zoom at both a CCSF and a CIRM online scientific conference.
In the past, our interns contributed to the basic research of stem cells. Currently they have moved forward with translational projects, with their discoveries leading to the clinic and new possible therapies. Our interns acting as relatable ambassadors for stem cell research has helped people in the community understand the science a little better, learn more about exciting breakthroughs that are in the horizon, and give hope to many for a cure.
While their contributions may have been small, introducing students to the rewarding field of stem cell biology research will have a lasting impact. Most of our students who complete this program do continue on to have careers related to this field. Training and motivating these students will lead to a brighter future for us all.
Reporting Period:
Year 4
Begun in 2006, City College of San Francisco's Stem Cell Technology Certificate Program was one of the first-ever programs to specifically provide training in the field of stem cell biology. The goal of our program is to reach out to a diverse population of students and impart the knowledge, skills, and motivation for a rewarding career in stem cell research or related `fields (such as medical/clinical laboratories involved with stem cell therapies). One of the key components to a successful program such as this is the internship component which would not be possible without CIRM. Once a student completes our program, they have the opportunity to work full-time as an intern in a local host research laboratory.
Our Biotechnology/Stem Cell Certificate program can be completed in 2 semesters. The focus of the coursework is hands-on skills, and all the courses are taught in the laboratory. Students will become familiar with many of the techniques used in research. We bring in guest instructors, scientists from world-renowned research centers such as UCSF and the Gladstone Institutes who are working on cutting-edge projects, to ensure that the students are being taught about the most current and exciting work in the field. After students complete their coursework, they receive a certificate and are eligible to apply for an internship.
During this reporting period, our third cohort of 8 students (9th cohort historically) completed their scientific coursework and worked with Americans for Cures, a patient advocacy group, to relate the science they are doing in the lab to the real-life patients whose lives they are changing. The students also developed short presentations for local high school and middle school students to outreach and promote science careers. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, much of the outreach activities were limited to online, but the student experience was enriched through additional lectures and activities. At the end of the internship, students presented their research via Zoom at both a CCSF and a CIRM online scientific conference.
We are pleased to report that even with COVID-19 restrictions in place we were able to continue providing dynamic work-based learning experiences for our CIRM interns. The necessity of remote work and learning options forced us to be more creative and resourceful in how we run our program.
• We developed additional resources for our internship mentors: With working conditions in flux, mentors were often uncertain about how to proceed. We provided tools to help them assess what kind of internship was possible, communicate more effectively with their interns, and develop remote work plans.
• We developed additional resources for student interns to learn more on their own about techniques and scientific concepts related to their projects.
• We were able to connect more with a broader range of groups and individuals through virtual platforms such as Zoom. During this past year, while being physically distanced from each other and our students, we have learned to take full advantage of virtual meeting space.
• We conducted outreach to students using new virtual approaches. We met with prospective students over Zoom, held virtual Open Houses for prospective students so potential students could meet with faculty and alumni. These activities will continue past the pandemic.
• For recruiting, we began posting web pages for each CIRM interns with brief bios/ testimonials and photos along with information about their internships. Our student interns have also been creating videos related to how they became interested in science and what work they are currently doing in their internships. These videos are also being used for recruitment.
• Our end-of-semester BioSymposium was transformed into a virtual conference: Students prepared PowerPoint presentations of their science posters, honing their presentation skills for virtual conferences where they presented for small groups several times a session, sometimes recordings these presentations so that they can share them asynchronously.
In the past, our interns contributed to the basic research of stem cells. Currently, they have moved forward with translational projects, with their discoveries leading to the clinic and new possible therapies. Our interns acting as relatable ambassadors for stem cell research have helped people in the community understand the science a little better, learn more about exciting breakthroughs that are in the horizon, and give hope to many for a cure. Introducing students to the rewarding field of stem cell biology research will have a lasting impact. Most of our students who complete this program do end up pursuing careers related to this field. Training and motivating these students will lead to a brighter future for us all.
Reporting Period:
Year 5
Begun in 2006, City College of San Francisco's Stem Cell Technology Certi`cate Program was one of the first ever programs to specifcally provide training in the field of stem cell biology. The goal of our program is to reach out to a diverse population of students and impart the knowledge, skills, and motivation for a rewarding career in stem cell research or related fields (such as medical/clinical laboratories involved with stem cell therapies). One of the key components to a successful program such as this is the internship component which would not be possible without CIRM. Once a student completes our program, they have the opportunity to work full time as an intern in a local host research laboratory.
Our Biotechnology/Stem Cell Certificate program can be completed in 2 semesters. The focus of the coursework is hands-on skills and all of the courses are taught in the laboratory. Students will become familiar with many of the techniques used in research. We bring in guest instructors; scientists from both UCSF and Gladstone Institutes to ensure that the students are being taught about the most current and exciting work in the field. After they complete their coursework, they receive a certificate and are eligible to apply for an internship.
During this reporting period, our fifth cohort of 8 students completed their scientific coursework and worked with Americans For Cures, a patient advocacy group, to relate the science they are doing in the lab to the real life patients whose lives they are changing. The students also developed short
presentations for local high school and middle school students to outreach and promote science careers. We were also able to offer for the first time in 2 years (due to COVID restrictions) a in-person biotechnology bootcamp for the NexGene Girls program interns. Although many activities were online, the student experience was enriched through additional lectures and activities. At the end of the internship, students presented their research via Zoom at the remote CCSF Biosymposium conference and are looking forward to the CIRM in-person Bridges meeting in July.
In the past, our interns contributed to the basic research of stem cells. Currently they have moved forward with translational projects, with their discoveries leading to the clinic and new possible therapies. Our interns acting as relatable ambassadors for stem cell research has helped people in the community understand the science a little better, learn more about exciting breakthroughs that are in the horizon, and give hope to many for a cure.
While their contributions may have been small, introducing students to the rewarding field of stem cell biology research will have a lasting impact. Most of our
students who complete this program do continue on to have careers related to this field. Training and motivating these students will lead to a brighter future for
us all.
Grant Application Details
Application Title:
Stem Cell Training Enhancement Program with a focus on Translational Research
Public Abstract:
The proposed project will build on an existing robust stem cell technician training in place at the home institution by expanding and enhancing student training with a translational focus through the implementation of eight (8) internship experiences each year, as well as a range of other support activities.
Specifically, the proposed project will:
1. Offer full-time internships to eight (8) students each year in CIRM-funded research laboratories or industry labs working on translational stem cell research. Participating laboratories include both academic and industry labs operating throughout the region. Intern trainees will be recruited from a pool of students who have completed a series of cell culture courses at the home institution. Selected interns will engage in a nine-month internship for which they will earn college credit.
2. Offer a Human stem cell techniques course that will prepare student trainees to begin their internship experiences.
3. Mentor student trainees through two (2) four-unit independent study courses in both the fall and spring semesters.
4. Augment and update all existing cell culture courses with cutting-edge information, techniques, and equipment, including coursework regarding drug and therapy development compliance and regulations.
5. Create a network that allows research scientists in the field the opportunity to be guest lecturers and/or teach a laboratory to enhance the learning experience of the students in our program.
6. Engage a Project Director whose long-term experience in molecular biology and cell culture research will fully qualify her to implement the proposed project.
7. Engage students in community outreach through patient interactions and presentations to educate the public about the importance of stem cell research and regenerative medicine.
The proposed program will greatly enhance training of future stem cell laboratory personnel by augmenting the existing California community college program with hands-on experience in an academic and/or industry laboratory over a nine-month period. Students participating in this training to internship program will gain a robust set of skills that will allow them to enter the workforce and make a substantial contribution to stem cell research. Further, by enhancing partnerships between the home institution and regional academic and industry laboratories, the proposed project will pave the way for future student training, and professional development activities for faculty members.
Statement of Benefit to California:
The proposed program will benefit the state of California and its citizens by providing high-quality training to a cadre of future stem cell research technicians, with a focus on translational research. This project helps to ensure that California is developing its next generation of stem cell researchers, thereby enhancing California's workforce and economy. Over the five-year funding period, the proposed program will greatly enhance the training of future stem cell laboratory workforce by augmenting the existing community college program with hands-on experience at an academic or industry laboratory over a nine-month period. Students participating in this internship will gain a robust set of skills that will allow them to enter the workforce and make a substantial contribution to stem cell research. Furthermore, by enhancing partnerships between the community college and regional academic and industry laboratories, patients, and local high schools, the proposed project will pave the way for future student training and professional development activities for faculty members, along with a more informed local community.
