Overview
Program Objectives
The objective of this program is to train PhD students through collaborative work with established investigators in academia, clinical medicine, and leading researchers in industry in an environment of state-of-the-art knowledge and technologies in regenerative engineering. This program will enable students to acquire fundamental knowledge in developmental and stem cell biology, regenerative medicine and engineering, and translational medicine; gain the ability to design experimental models to understand human disorders and develop engineering systems for controlling cell and tissue regeneration; attain expertise in translating basic discoveries into clinical applications; and ultimately help develop regenerative engineering-based treatment strategies.
The shortage of healthy donor tissues or organs for transplantation and the limited regenerative capacity of our body due to serious injury or disease are major healthcare problems that afflict our society. These challenges demand a workforce skilled in convergence research and an understanding of the clinical translation process. Regenerative Engineering is the convergence of advances in materials science, stem cell and developmental biology, physical sciences, and translational medicine to reconstruct, regenerate, or repair complex tissues and organs.
RE-Training is a convergence research predoctoral training program funded by the National Institutes of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering through grant T32-EB031527 that aims to offer the integrated curriculum, industrial, and clinical experiences needed to educate the next generation of thought leaders that are competent in the application of regenerative engineering to advance the field and practice of regenerative medicine. Re-Training is headquartered at the Center for Advanced Regenerative Engineering (CARE) and leverages infrastructure from NU core facilities, industry partners, and expertise of faculty at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Feinberg School of Medicine. Upon completion of the two-year program, graduates will be able to apply scientific, technical, and clinical knowledge and skills that will enable them to recognize and solve challenges associated with the restoration of tissue and organ function.
Core Program Elements
- Team science training through a 3-member mentor team, chosen by the student and primary mentor, that includes 1 clinical, 1 life sciences, and 1 engineering faculty member
- Clinical immersion experiential learning to gain direct insight into challenges that affect patients and physicians
- The Regenerative Engineering Practice School, a 3-month internship with a mentor at one of our affiliated companies/non-academic research institutions designed with the trainee’s thesis and career development goals in mind
- A regenerative engineering ecosystem of courses, workshops, and seminars that include academic researchers and industry experts
- Personalized professional development that includes feedback from mentors and program leadership to facilitate transition to independent careers relevant to regenerative engineering and regenerative medicine