NIH T32 Interdisciplinary Training Program in Skin Biology

NIH T32 Interdisciplinary Training Program in Skin Biology

 

 

What is NIH?

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency for making important discoveries that improve health and save lives. NIH funds awards made to institutions to support groups of pre- and/or postdoctoral fellows, including trainees in basic, clinical, and behavioral research. Ensures that a diverse and highly trained workforce is available to assume leadership roles in biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research.

 

The Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center (SCRC)

The SCRC consists of more than 60+ science faculty across the campus who can mentor CIRM Scholars; more mentors will be added in the next years. Activities within the SCRC include basic and translational stem cell research using multidisciplinary approaches, such as cell biology, genomics, computational biology, bioengineering, pre-clinical development, and clinical applications/practice. Faculty members have taken a bench-to-bedside path to various preclinical and clinical development stages.

building.jpgOur mentors have all had Implicit Bias and Culturally Aware Mentorship training. Activities within the Center Faculty are also engaged in understanding the stem cell field in the wider context of health disparities and ethics fostering the capability of Scholars to act as ambassadors for stem cell and regenerative medicine field in society at large. There are training and research opportunities across a wide range of topics including new cell sorting and manufacturing methods, biomaterials to control cellular development, 3D cell culture and fused organoids, health disparities, bioethics, and upcoming trials for retinal repair, brain injury, stroke, ALS, and Huntington’s disease.

 

 

About the NIH T32 Skin Training Program

The Interdisciplinary Skin Biology Training Program at the University of California, Irvine builds on a strong group of interactive skin biology mentors affiliated with a NIAMS-funded Skin Biology and Disease Research Core Center (UCI Skin). The goal is to develop skin biologists that will be highly skilled in integrating computation and bioengineering, including imaging, into their research to make discoveries in skin biology and disease. The Program fills an important need for broadly trained skin scientists in industry and academia. The four trainees will be a mixture of graduate students (three slots), including MD-PhD students, and postdoctoral fellows (one slot), including dermatology residents, pursuing postgraduate research training. The Program will generally support trainees for two years. The 25 mentors are investigators whose work focuses on skin biology and collaborating investigators from other scientific disciplines. Each trainee–irrespective of whether the primary mentor is a skin biologist or from an allied field–will pursue an interdisciplinary project at the intersection of skin biology and one of two cross-disciplines: systems biology or bioengineering. In their research activities, all trainees will be mentored by a skin biologist, a mentor from a complementary field, and a clinical dermatologist. In addition to laboratory-based research training, the program includes courses in skin biology and disease, a weekly Skin Club for data presentations, monthly seminar series, yearly retreats, a yearly symposium, and a focus on team science. The program also offers a menu of professional development activities, including training in entrepreneurship, that can be individually tailored to each trainee based on their interests and career goals.

 

Trainee Resources & Requirements

🌐Trainee Funding
📚Trainee Requirements

SUMMER QUARTER

  • Sign-up for ICTS 2026 Responsible Conduct of Research Workshop (2 days in FALL): Register & Information
  • Rigor or Mortis (noted in SPRING quarter): More Info

FALL QUARTER

  • Establish and review Individual Development Plan (IDP) with your mentor. A follow-up meeting should be scheduled to ensure trainee is meeting IDP goals. Submit your IDP and follow-up IDP meeting notes to Dr. Bogi Andersen, Dr. Anand Ganesan, and Abbie Enriquez.
  • Attend weekly Skin Club Meetings (Mondays from 4:00 to 5:00 PM at Gross Hall, Thorp Conference Center, 4th floor; Faculty Lead: Piotr Konieczny)
  • Attend monthly P30 Distinguished Speaker Seminar Series
  • Register for our Skin Biology Course BATS 241/242 for Winter Quarter
  • Quarterly one-on-ones with T32 PDs, if schedules permit
  • ICTS Responsible Conduct of Research Workshop: October 9, 2026 & October 16, 2026 (in-person, registration required)
  • All trainees are required to submit an F application no later than Spring Quarter of the second year

WINTER QUARTER

  • Finalize selection of clinical mentor for 2-year program
  • Attend annual Skin T32 Retreat
  • Attend weekly Skin Club Meetings (Mondays, 4:00–5:00 PM, Gross Hall 4th floor)
  • Skin Biology Courses (REGISTRATION REQUIRED; Postdoctoral scholars can contact instructor, Dr. Anand Ganesan, to audit course). Must complete both within 2-year appointment:
    • BATS 241 (odd years: 2025, 2027, 2029, etc.)
    • BATS 242 (even years: 2026, 2028, 2030, etc.)
  • Attend monthly P30 Distinguished Speaker Seminar Series
  • Attend Annual Skin Symposium (registration required, submit poster abstract; use Skin T32 funds to print poster)
  • If not already completed through Gateway Program, register for M&MG250 Conduct of Research for Spring Quarter
  • All trainees are required to submit an F application no later than Spring Quarter of the second year

SPRING QUARTER

  • M&MG 250: Responsible Conduct of Research (Taking during Gateway Program fulfills this requirement)
  • Attend monthly P30 Distinguished Speaker Seminar Series
  • Schedule first clinical mentor meeting and submit clinical interaction form via Online Form
  • Attend weekly Skin Club Meetings (Mondays, 4:00–5:00 PM, Gross Hall 4th floor)
  • Present in Skin Club
  • Quarterly one-on-ones with T32 PDs, if schedules permit
  • Clinical Trials Exposure in Skin Disease (with expectation that physician scientists participate in Physician Scientists Pathways Certificate Course)
  • All trainees are required to submit an F application no later than Spring Quarter of the second year

OPTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

  • Workshops in Genomics and Bioinformatics, Imaging and Tissue Engineering, and Systems Biology hosted by Cores in UCI Skin
  • Additional coursework in translational research through MS-BATS program
  • Academic Innovator Certificate Program for entrepreneurship experience
  • 3-unit course on Patent Law (Law 547) for technology transfer
  • The Dowling Club as an alternative to meeting with clinical mentor (submit online clinical interactions form prior to attending)
  • Summer Industry Internship for up to 3 months during Year 2 of appointment (NIH maximum; requires PI and T32 PD approval)
💼Career Development Resources

Public Speaking, Presentation Skills, and Teaching:

Mentoring:

Grant Writing:

  • Grant Writer Seminar and Workshop
  • Predoctoral Trainees must enroll in UNI STU 231: NIH Fellowship Writing Course
  • Postdoctoral Scholar Writing Courses:
    • Physician-Scientists are required to enroll in the Physician Scientists Pathways Certificate Course
    • K-Club Series (ICTS)

Scientific Reasoning and Rigorous Research Design:

  • (Optional) MB 295: Biomedical Research Methods
  • Rigor or Mortis: Reproducibility of Science (ICTS), 8-hour instruction by Dr. Oswald Steward

Training Tailored to Specific Career Paths:

  • Clinical Trials Exposure in Skin Disease
  • Industry Exposure to Skin Research
  • Entrepreneurship Training:
    • Academic Innovator Certificate Program (8-week)
    • Externships through UC Irvine Beall Applied Innovation
    • Law 547: Patent Law (3 units)
  • Academic Career Exposure in Skin Biology (Annual Society for Investigative Dermatology Conference)
  • Clinical Niche Development
👨‍🏫Mentor Requirements
  • The primary mentor must establish a relationship with a secondary mentor in a different discipline/emphasis area
  • The primary mentor must also recruit a clinical mentor to the mentoring team
  • Mentors with trainees appointed to our grant must attend our annual T32 Retreat
  • Must have completed Formal Mentor Training to be listed as a mentor on any NIH-funded grants:

For questions and assistance please contact Abbie Enriquez at abbiee@hs.uci.edu.

Program-related questions can be sent to Dr. Bogi Andersen (bogi@hs.uci.edu) or Dr. Anand Ganesan (aganesan@hs.uci.edu).