The mission of the Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program (CMB Training Program) at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (CWRU-SOM) is to provide trainees with a multidisciplinary conceptual and technical foundation for developing independent careers conducting transformative research in the biomedical sciences. Molecular cell biology in the 21st century is increasingly driven by technological advances and involves collaborative, multidisciplinary research that brings together structural, biochemical, molecular and cellular approaches. Therefore, the overarching goal of the CMB Training Program is to provide trainees with broad skills and the flexibility to keep pace with the opportunities and demands of contemporary science. Faculty members at CWRU-SOM offer outstanding expertise in the disciplines of biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, pharmacology, pathology, and neurosciences. CMB Trainers are engaged in research representing five major themes that transcend traditional departmental and program boundaries: RNA Processing and Translational Regulation; Genome Structure and Regulation; Intracellular Signaling; Proteomics and Bioinformatics; and Cancer Molecular Biology. CMB Trainees have the opportunity to work on a range of research topics that advance our fundamental understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving biological processes. Students are supported early in their careers (years 2-3) when the thesis project is in its formative stages and specialization into individual PhD Programs occurs. The core of the training program is a broad and rigorous curriculum in cell and molecular biology, as well as bioinformatics and genomics in the context of biomedicine with an emphasis on quantitative skills. In addition to a unifying theme of coursework, research discussions, and ethics training, students also take elective courses in structural biology, stem cell biology, cell biology, genetics, genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, depending on their career goals. Trainees are exposed to a range of modern technologies and concepts and their application in cell and molecular biology. They apply these concepts in a mentored research project culminating in peer-reviewed research publications, rigorous oral and written examinations, regular faculty advisory committee meetings, departmental seminars, and presentations at national meetings. Program-specific activities such as the CMB Trainer/Trainee Seminar Series and the CMB Symposium Series offer intensive research presentation and discussions that also broadly impact the biomedical research community of CWRU-SOM. The success of the CMB Training Program continues to be measured by peer-­‐reviewed research publications, timely progress toward the PhD, subsequent postdoctoral training at top institutions, and advancement into independent research positions in academia and industry.

PROJECT NARRATIVE Mechanistic insights into the function of cells and macromolecules represent key information for developing therapies to combat human disease. The CMB Training Program is aimed at teaching young scientists how to obtain such information and to prepare them for scientific careers in academia, industry, government, and education.