# Graduate Training in Genetics

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF OREGON · 2021 · $342,831

## Abstract

7. PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Continued support is requested for a predoctoral training program in Genetics at the University of Oregon. The
primary objective of the Genetics Training Program is to prepare scientists for productive careers at the
forefront of modern genetics, whether it be in an academic, corporate, or governmental context. We aim to (i)
train students to become creative, rigorous, and experimentally skilled scientists with a deep and broad
understanding of gene function and heredity; (ii) teach students to communicate science effectively to the lay
public, professional colleagues, and students in the classroom; and (iii) prepare students to bring this expertise
into the workforce by offering diverse opportunities to develop professional skills.
 Funds are requested for 9 predoctoral trainee positions within a program that includes 25 training
faculty, ~45 predoctoral students and ~40 postdoctoral fellows. The program brings together students and
faculty from three research institutes (Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Ecology & Evolution) and two
Departments (Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry). Our program includes groups with expertise in evolution,
genomics, bioinformatics, biochemistry, and development. A robust collaborative spirit is fostered by the
overlapping research interests of training faculty, our diversity of technical expertise, the close proximity of our
laboratories, and a culture that places a high value on interaction and cooperation. The faculty have strong
funding and publication records, and excellent track records of training students who go on to productive
careers in the biomedical sciences. Recent hires have shifted our group toward younger faculty using state-of-
the-art imaging, genomic, and quantitative approaches, and coalesced strengths in vertebrate genetics, host-
microbe interactions, and genome function. Although we maintain a strength in basic research, the research of
training faculty has increasingly focused on topics that are directly relevant to human health. These include the
use of mouse and zebrafish to model human disorders, and the effects of microbiota on vertebrate
development and disease.
 Practical research training under the mentorship of first-rate scientists provides the backbone of our
program. We ensure a solid intellectual foundation by requiring trainees to take coursework in three core areas
(molecular, developmental, and evolutionary genetics) and in Biological Statistics. We surround the lab and
coursework with a wealth of broadening experiences, including teaching, student research talks, journal clubs,
and career development workshops. Trainees become experienced science communicators through regular
journal club presentations and seminars on their thesis research. An involved Thesis Committee and annual
Individual Development Plans ensure active mentoring and fulfilling graduate training experiences that prepare
students to become next generation scientific leaders.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10180975
- **Project number:** 5T32GM007413-44
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
- **Principal Investigator:** Karen J Guillemin
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $342,831
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1977-07-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10180975

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10180975, Graduate Training in Genetics (5T32GM007413-44). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10180975. Licensed CC0.

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