Postdoctoral Training in Comparative Medicine

PROJECT SUMMARY
Veterinarians, with their broad knowledge of animal biology are uniquely suited for advancing the field of
comparative medicine. The University of Missouri Comparative Medicine Program is an established and
preeminent training program that provides comprehensive research training for veterinarians with the goal of
producing independent scientists conducting research in comparative medicine. The training provides a
substantive foundation for a competitive research career through 1) an intense research experience to provide
competence in state-of-the-art experimental methodology, 2) supporting course work and seminars that give a
broad exposure to biomedical sciences, comparative medicine, experimental design, statistics, and biomedical
ethics, 3) instruction in fundamental concepts of funding procurement and development of grant-writing skills, 4)
instruction in all aspects of lab and project management including development of transferable skills, 5)
instruction in scientific rigor and transparency in experimental design and study reproducibility with an emphasis
on animal modelling, and 6) increasingly independent experience in every stage of the scientific research
process. The strengths of this program include an exceptional mentor pool of over 40 well-funded faculty offering
research opportunities in a broad range of areas related to comparative medicine, including but not limited to,
infectious disease, genetics of disease, cryobiology and assisted reproduction, cardiovascular, renal and
neurological function, cancer, and biomedical engineering. Furthermore, the presence of a National Mutant
Mouse Resource Center, the only National Rat and Swine Resource Centers in the U.S., Metagenomics and
Metabolomics Centers and one of 12 U.S. BL3-biocontainment facilities, provides a unique and unparalleled
training environment for research and characterization of genetically engineered animals. Funds are requested
to support four trainees for up to three years of research training under the mentorship of an established funded
researcher. Trainees will design and perform a research project, prepare an extramural grant proposal, present
research results at national meetings and publish their findings in high quality peer-reviewed journals. Training
will culminate with preparation and defense of a dissertation (PhD). On completion of the training program,
trainees will have acquired the skills needed to become successful independent investigators whose unique
training will position them to become leaders in the Comparative Medicine community.

Grant Number: 5T32OD011126-47
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Bryda