Qian Yin, one of seven students enrolled in the Training Program in Chemical Biology, is doing her second rotation working in the laboratory of Dr. David Eliezer, assistant professor of biochemistry at Weill Medical College. For her first rotation, Ms. Yin worked in the laboratory of Dr. Frederick Maxfield, chairman of biochemistry at Weill Cornell.
This summer, seven graduate students, chosen from an international pool of applicants, have been working in the laboratories of leading biomedical scientists at Weill Cornell, The Rockefeller University (RU) and the Sloan-Kettering Institute (SKI). These students are the first to enroll in the Training Program in Chemical Biology, a new graduate program jointly sponsored by Cornell University in Ithaca, Weill Cornell, Rockefeller and SKI.
Over the last several weeks (July 9–Aug. 17), the students have been doing two rotations in different laboratories at the three York Avenue institutions to become familiar with research opportunities on these campuses. Then, relocating to Cornell's main campus in Ithaca, they will spend the next year taking core courses in chemistry and chemical biology.
After completing a year of study in Ithaca, the students will return to Manhattan to complete coursework in biological subjects and begin their doctoral research projects at Weill Cornell, Rockefeller or SKI. Those working in laboratories at Weill Cornell and SKI will receive their Ph.D. degrees from Cornell University, while those working at Rockefeller will receive Ph.D. from Rockefeller.
The Training Program in Chemical Biology (TPCB) offers a unique opportunity for students to gain fundamental training in the core chemical sciences that underlie biology and medicine, while pursuing doctoral training in chemical biology, molecular biology, and cancer biology at leading laboratories in these fields. Establishment of the TPCB is part of a major $160 million initiative (spearheaded by an anonymous $80 million gift) to further the development of chemical biology, to apply new technologies in structural biology and nanotechnology, and to utilize the full knowledge of the human genome to improve human health.
All TPCB students receive full fellowship support as well as travel and housing expenses for short-term visits between Ithaca and New York City.