Spring 2007 NewsletterPitt Bioengineering Receives Three T32 Grants SimultaneouslyPart 2 of 3: Michael Sacks Awarded Training Grant to Educate Students on Biomechanics in Regenerative Medicine
Under the leadership of Michael Sacks, William Kepler Whiteford Professor, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded the University of Pittsburgh Department of Bioengineering a five-year T32 predoctoral training grant. The increasing focus of biomedical research on development of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine therapies led to the need for this training program in biomechanics that integrates contemporary cell and molecular biology within the context of a rigorous biomechanics curriculum. Program GoalsThe goal of the training program is to provide a solid foundation upon which to build a productive and independent career in Biomechanics in Regenerative Medicine (BiRM). This goal is accomplished via a highly coordinated and mentored interdisciplinary training program with a combination of required and elective courses, research activities, and specialized training opportunities. An Integrated ApproachThe proposed training program incorporates faculty from the University of Pittsburgh Departments of Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering, Orthopaedic Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Urology, and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, as well as faculty from the Departments of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering of Carnegie Mellon University. More OpportunitiesThis combination of training faculty research interests and coursework provides a rich educational experience and more numerous training opportunities for the students than could be obtained within the individual university departments. Moreover, the breadth of research areas that span various physiological systems (cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and urological) allows for a unique opportunity to train students to become highly skilled problem solvers while avoiding overspecialization. Since the BiRM training program is not central to any one department, its structure permits the student a much wider choice of options with which to pursue a PhD in tissue bioengineering and regeneration. In the current departmental focus of graduate education, PhD students in one department who wish to perform thesis research in a laboratory in another department find many departmental-based administrative roadblocks in their path. The BiRM program eliminates these roadblocks and permits ever-increasing educational options for the students and research collaborations. Coursework, including intensive life sciences and biomechanics, provides the students with a thorough grounding in both areas. Skills acquired in these courses are combined in later courses and the trainees’ research. More information about the BiRM training program. Read Part 1 of this SeriesSanjeev Shroff Awarded Training Grant to Educate Students on Cardiovascular and Biomedical Research |
Department of Bioengineering
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