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Keck
Program in Cellular and Molecular
Biophysics of Signal Transduction
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| Weill
Cornell Medical College - New York City |
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The
Keck program is a new research and training program between Cornell
University’s Ithaca and Weill Medical College in New York City campuses.
The objective of this program is to develop a detailed understanding
of the complex molecular processes that regulate cell behavior.
This major scientific challenge requires a coordinated effort of
scientists ranging from mathematicians and physicists to cell biologists
and physiologists. The Keck program builds on the University's
considerable strengths in these disciplines by synergistically linking
teams of researchers at the two campuses. The program includes
joint research projects, shared training of graduate students and
postdoctoral fellows, development of inter-campus courses, and installation
of equipment to facilitate application of new techniques to key
biomedical research problems.
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| Cornell
University - Ithaca, New York |
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The
complete sequencing of the human genome is a landmark achievement
in biomedical sciences. However, a greater challenge now lies before
us: understanding how the thousands of different proteins are organized
and regulated within cells, tissues and whole organisms. The scope
of this is one that will require decades of work by teams of scientists
around the world. For that reason training of the next generation
of scientists is an essential component of the attack on this problem.
Furthermore, the scope of the problem transcends traditional barriers
between scientific disciplines, and it will be necessary to train
scientists who are knowledgeable in a range of scientific areas,
and to establish teams of researchers who work together closely.
The
faculty of the Keck Program in Cellular and Molecular Biophysics
of
Signal Transduction form an exceptionally strong team of researchers
with the commitment and expertise to attack this problem in a coordinated
effort (see table for links to the web pages of the Keck faculty).
In particular, Cornell has a group of scientists who work at the
interface between cell biology and biophysics, and this core group
can integrate the efforts of the more physical or biological scientists.
This core of faculty with broad, overlapping interests is one of
the distinguishing features of the Keck program. Reflecting the
broad interests of the faculty, the graduate students and postdoctoral
fellows in these laboratories come with a breadth of training that
enhances a rich, interactive environment.
The
program supports both graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
Graduate students will be admitted into existing Ph.D. programs
at both campuses. Students in the Keck Program will have members
of their Committee from both campuses, and interdisciplinary, collaborative
training will be a key element of the selection process. Postdoctoral
fellows will be selected for the program based on their prior record
and their plans for interdisciplinary training. In most cases,
two mentors will jointly sponsor fellows. Inter-campus graduate
courses and special topic seminars for students and postdoctoral
fellows will be developed. These will take advantage of the facilities
and expertise in Cornell’s Office of Distance Learning, which
already offers several courses simultaneously in New York and Ithaca.
For more
information on research opportunities in the Keck program please contact
individual faculty members or the directors of the program, F.R. Maxfield
(Weill Medical College, NYC), frmaxfie@med.cornell.edu or B. Baird
(Ithaca Campus), bab13@cornell.edu.
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