Clinical & Translational Science (CTS) track

The Clinical & Translational Science (CTS) Track is a training focus available within the Biomedical Science Ph.D. program. The overall educational goal of this track is to prepare future biomedical researchers who can interact effectively with the spectrum of clinical providers and community members, and function efficiently within large research teams, either as members or as team leaders. The curriculum in this track is designed to provide a strong foundation in biological science along with activities that will encourage team-oriented projects, enhance communication between team members from different disciplinary backgrounds, develop leadership skills, and provide the foundation for broad understanding of pertinent scientific, medical, and regulatory issues.

The CTS track will provide novel, competency-based, team-mentored training for the next generation of clinical and translation scientists. A critical component in producing a new generation of clinical and translational researchers is effective mentoring. As a unifying mechanism, we have created a Community of Clinical & Translational Scholars (CCTS) that includes all of our trainees at any educational level along with their mentors. The goal of the CCTS is to facilitate formal and informal interactions among all trainees and mentors, and to facilitate trainee acquisition of the core competencies through a series of regular activities.

Specific activities include:

• The monthly grand rounds series addressing relevant research and professional issues.
• Two half-day symposia each year (fall and spring) dedicated to state-of-the-art research topics. The fall symposium will be held in conjunction with the TAMHSC Distinguished Lecture Series which is a long established program that already has a wide audience from the campus and the community. The spring symposium will either be a stand-alone program or will be held jointly with the TAMU-TAMHSC chapter of Sigma Xi. Sigma Xi sponsors a yearly spring symposium and is held in conjunction with undergraduate research week. In years when the TAMHSC is responsible for the Sigma Xi symposium, a research theme appropriate for the CCTS will be chosen.
• An annual retreat for trainees and mentors where trainees present their research

Additional information about the Ph.D. program in Biomedical Science