# UCLA-Caltech Medical Scientist Training Program

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2024 · $1,798,078

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The mission of the University of California Los Angeles-California Institute of Technology Medical Scientist
Training Program (UCLA-Caltech MSTP) is to recruit and train a diverse and accomplished pool of dedicated
physician-scientists advancing scientific and clinical discoveries, and driving technological innovations to the
benefit of human health and disease outcomes. The program proposes to (1) recruit gifted students with a
passion for scientific knowledge and unwavering commitment to research, medicine, service, and leadership;
(2) provide an inclusive, safe and supportive training environment where can trainees flourish academically
and scientifically in their area of research interest; (3) provide strong individualized mentorship to support the
personal and professional development of trainees of diverse backgrounds and career goals; 4) address
disparities in medicine and science through outreach, recruitment, training, and mentorship of individuals from
disadvantaged and underrepresented groups in medicine (URM). These goals will be accomplished within a
program framework of strong faculty and peer mentorship, didactic and experiential learning, and professional
development integrated with medical training in the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and doctoral
research in graduate programs at UCLA and Caltech. Trainees will be inculcated with the skills and attitudes
needed to pursue meaningful and impactful research in a safe, ethically responsible, rigorous, and
collaborative manner. Structured faculty and peer mentorship and programming including the MSTP Tutorial,
MSTP Annual Research Conference, Physician-Scientist Grand Rounds, Clinical Practicum during Research,
Longitudinal Clinical Preceptorship, and further program-sponsored and student-led activities have been
designed to burnish trainees’ identities as physician-scientists and prepare them to pursue diverse careers in
the biomedical research workforce. Program initiatives and a dedicated and collaborative team of faculty
directors, administrators, and student leaders have resulted in outstanding training outcomes over the past
decade as the program has substantially increased trainee diversity and overall numbers (118 current trainees
nearing a steady state goal of 120). The current 5-year proposal requests 30 NIH-funded positions with the
following intended training outcomes: 1) acquired knowledge, skills, experiences and attitudes leading to
successful physician-scientist careers impacting a wide range of health-related research needs; 2) established
scientific expertise and published rigorous and impactful research work guided by strong mentorship; 3)
thriving ,resilient and diverse graduates retained in the physician-scientist pipeline through professional and
career development; 4) timely completion of training in 8 years or less facilitated by curricular innovations that
have further streamlined dual degree training; and 5) recruitment of a diverse and...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10769300
- **Project number:** 1T32GM152342-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Olujimi A Ajijola
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $1,798,078
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-07-01 → 2029-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10769300

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10769300, UCLA-Caltech Medical Scientist Training Program (1T32GM152342-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10769300. Licensed CC0.

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