(left) Mythreye Karthikeyan, Ph.D.The UAB Translational and Molecular Sciences (TMS) Training Program (T32) for predoctoral trainees has been renewed for another five years by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences with an increased number of trainee slots. The program is co-directed by Rakesh Patel, Ph.D., and Mythreye Karthikeyan, Ph.D., both in Molecular and Cellular Pathology.
Enrolling students at the start of their second year, this two-year program pairs targeted coursework in disease mechanisms and drug discovery and development, with mentored clinical exposure and innovation and entrepreneurship training, that complements each trainee's dissertation work. Throughout, it emphasizes a strong research environment, training in rigor and reproducibility, professional development, and preparation for diverse careers in the biomedical research workforce.
Rakesh Patel, Ph.D.
Translational training in the Department of Pathology overall spans nearly two decades. UAB was among the first institutions to receive Howard Hughes Medical Institute support to build translational research opportunities for biomedical Ph.D. trainees. The program later transitioned to NIH support in 2015 and again in 2020.
To date, the NIH TMS T32 has supported more than 35 trainees across graduate biomedical science themes and laboratories in multiple Heersink School of Medicine departments. The expanded renewal will strengthen the program’s capacity to deliver transformative translational training and financial support to predoctoral researchers.