Students in the DRB Program come from a variety of educational and scientific backgrounds but are united by common and complimentary interests in understanding the processes by which complex organisms are formed and patterned; how structure and function is specified and maintained, or disrupted in disease; and how cells, tissues or organ systems might be repaired or regenerated in response to injury, infection or mutation. The DRB Program is designed to provide our trainees with a fundamental background in organismal and stem cell biology, and a network of dedicated mentors and collaborators, with which they can embark on a wide-range of projects spanning from basic tissue patterning and organ development to complex regenerative repairs and de novo production of cellular therapies for translational use.
Beyond helping to support the scientific interests of our trainees, the DRB Program strives to support the personal growth and development of our graduate students. Student-organized scientific and social events, utilizing a variety of presentation and networking platforms, give DRB students an abundance of opportunities to share their research progress and get feedback from their peers and mentors, and to establish new connections and collaborations that can propell their projects forward. The DRB Program also supports student participation in workshops and conferences with career development awards and an annual trip to the North East Society of Developmental Biology (NESDB) meeting.
To find out more about student life in DRB, including contact info for student leaders and DRB alumni careers, check out the student life page.
For further information on the scope of DRB career development initiatives, click here.
Click here if you would like to learn more about how to join the DRB Program.
DRB Student Spotlight
Rebecca Soto; G4 (2019); Trista North Lab
What lab are you in and what do you study?
“My project looks at the precursors for blood formation and how it’s regulated by epigenetic factors. We’re doing a bunch of collaborations to specifically understand how blood development is conserved across species, but it [our topic] also has a translational component, and maybe even has therapeutic potential.”
What did you do before graduate school and when did you realize you wanted to be a scientist?
“I’ve always been pretty interested science. My internship with George Daley really influenced me to become a scientist. He put a human aspect to what we were doing. During my internship, families who would be influenced by IPS work would come in. You can get lost at the bench and not realize your work has a broader impact.”
How would you describe the DRB community?
“[DRB is] a nuturing community, [the community] fosters a lot of collaborations. Trista values teamwork as much as scientific contribution. Faculty have always been willing to offer advice or expertise. I feel very supported.”