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T2-00003: Gladstone CIRM Scholar Program

Application Number:  T2-00003

Proposal Abstract as Submitted by Applicant

The Gladstone CIRM Scholars Training Program will train CIRM scholars in the postdoctoral and clinical tracks. The J. David Gladstone Institutes conducts basic research on three of the most important medical problems of modern times: cardiovascular disease, AIDS, and neurodegenerative disorders. Each of these research areas addresses promising targets for regenerative medicine. Gladstone recently consolidated its research activities in a new 200,000 sq. ft. facility, including laboratory space constructed without federal funding. Its location—adjacent to the Mission Bay campus of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) —provides an ideal environment for Gladstone CIRM scholars to collaborate with leading researchers at Gladstone and in neighboring UCSF laboratories. The Gladstone program features two key mentors outside of Mission Bay: Dr. Joseph McCune, a Gladstone investigator at San Francisco General Hospital, and Dr. Pieter de Jong of Children’s Hospital of Oakland Research Institute (CHORI). Gladstone is an independent research institute affiliated with UCSF, and we are combining some of our educational activities with the robust training programs in stem cell biology at CHORI, UCSF, and UC Davis, thus facilitating synergy and eliminating duplication (as allowed in the RFA). Gladstone offers a unique training for CIRM scholars, providing a commitment to educating the next generation of biomedical scientists, highly interactive research groups, and substantial individual feedback from experienced mentors. More than 300 fellows have trained at Gladstone. In a national survey by The Scientist, Gladstone was rated as the 12th best place for postdoctoral scientists to work in the U.S. in 2005 (123 universities/institutions were ranked). The Gladstone CIRM Scholars Training Program will allow us to enhance our research program to help meet the goals of regenerative medicine, while at the same time enhancing the training of young scientists.

Benefit of this Program to California

This program will benefit the people and the state of California by providing high-quality training in the scientific, clinical, social, and ethical aspects of stem cell research to the scientists and clinicians who will develop and apply future therapies in this rapidly emerging field.