# Systems in Integrative Biology

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2020 · $235,942

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
 The aim of this proposal is to continue, through the renewal of the System and Integrative Biology
Training Grant (SIBTG), the unique yearly pre-doctoral training of six students in mathematical and
computational biology. The rigorous mathematical and biological course requirements of the SIBTG have
given it a track record of producing highly knowledgeable and versatile biomedical researchers, including
many trainees who have gone on to high-profile academic and industrial positions. In the modern era of
data-driven biomedical research, the mission of the SIBTG is even more urgent. For example, expanded
acquisition and resolution of data in space and time will likely lead to higher false positive rates for
detection of tumors, brain and cardiac signals, genetic testing, etc. Despite a seemingly unlimited amount
of data, the resources available for further investigating the biological mechanisms implied by these data
remain limited. Therefore, careful quantitative analysis, refined physical understanding, and enlightened
biological insight will be ever critical in biomedical research where one is often concept-limited rather than
data-limited. The SIBTG provides training orthogonal to that of typical grants for quantitative biology by
stressing the acquisition of expertise in theoretical/computational mathematics and its judicial application
to biology.
 In this proposal, a number of adjustments and improvements to the SIBTG are being proposed to
complement the increased use of data in medicine, the recent establishment of the UCLA Institute of
Quantitative and Computational Biology, the initiation of the Grand Challenge in Depression at UCLA, and
the evolution of other training grants on campus. Specifically, (1) a new director, Prof. Tom Chou, has
been named, (2) the administrative structure has been streamlined and diversified, (3) the roster of
participating faculty has been significantly updated, (4) mentoring capacity in neurobiology has been
increased, (5) institutional support from UCLA has been obtained to support an additional trainee selected
under the same core criteria, (6) the core seminar requirement will be expanded into a full 4-unit course
that incorporates training in scientific writing and presentations, and (7) collaborative outreach and
recruitment activities with Cal State-Northridge, a Hispanic-serving institution will be developed and
formalized. The leadership and member faculty will be selected to ensure independence and nominal
overlap with other training grants at UCLA. These changes and the funding of this grant will enable a new
generation of scientists to be rigorously trained in quantitative methods, allowing them to truly harvest the
fruits of big data.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9982970
- **Project number:** 5T32GM008185-33
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** TOM CHOU
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $235,942
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1987-07-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9982970

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9982970, Systems in Integrative Biology (5T32GM008185-33). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9982970. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*