Director's Message | Fall 2024

Among the many goals of the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center, few will have a greater impact on the future of stem cell research than the training of our students, post-doctoral scholars, and clinical fellows. These early-career scientists of today will be the trailblazing lab directors of tomorrow. Our flagship training program, established in 2006 with funding from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and expanded through generous philanthropic support, reflects this deep commitment to education. In every laboratory and in every department, teaching and training are at the core of what we do and who we are.

Are we any good at it? We would like to think that we excel at teaching and training. One metric to highlight is where our trainees land. Over 50% of the graduate students who have completed our training program are now senior-level scientists in the biotechnology world. Another nearly 25% hold faculty positions at top universities. Likewise, over 50% of our post-doctoral scholars and nearly two-thirds of our clinical fellows have advanced to faculty positions at top universities. The ten former trainees who have joined the UCLA faculty have consistently proven to be thoughtful collaborators and engaged mentors themselves. 

We are proud that the interdisciplinary nature of our center and comprehensive curriculum of the training program have produced well-rounded scientists who have gone on to advance the regenerative medicine field in prestigious positions around the country.

For us, success is also measured by producing trainees who can communicate their work and its impact, who care about lifting up the next generation, and who are able to bring people into their worlds and research.

In addition to our Broad Stem Cell Research Center Training Program, we have several programs that reach an even broader range of trainees. Our “Creating Opportunities through Mentorship and Partnership Across Stem Cell Science” (COMPASS) Program provides training in stem cell research to UCLA undergraduate students from backgrounds that are historically underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. Through a longstanding partnership, the center also hosts Cal State Northridge undergraduate students for year-long internships that provide practical lab training in stem cell biology and mentored guidance in UCLA research labs. 

Our center believes that the future of human health depends on the caliber of the young scientists we nurture today. We are eager to continue fostering the next generation of compassionate healthcare providers and leaders in stem cell science by providing our trainees with hands-on research experience, along with essential training in community outreach and science communication. It is the very heart of our mission.
 

Thomas Rando, MD, PhD
Director, UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center
Professor of Neurology and Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology