Kunal Baxi, PhD to receive Translational Science Training (TST) TL1 award. (Ignatius Lab)
The Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio wishes to congratulate Kunal Baxi, PhD, from the lab of Principal Investigator, Myron Ignatius, PhD. on receiving the UT Health San Antonio, Translational Science Training (TST) TL1 award.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
This program is meant to enhance the quality and scope of the doctoral/postdoctoral research experience by offering interdisciplinary research training and mentorship in Translational Science.
This is essential to translate basic discovery into clinical testing and community interventions. Awardees, designated as Translational Science Training Scholars, will work with their Research Supervising Professor/Mentor and the TST Directors to develop an individualized program that will facilitate their capacity to move science along the translational science continuum. This individualized program will include core coursework in translational science and a practicum in the scholar’s field of study. In this way, Translational Science Training Scholars will gain a firsthand appreciation of the relationship between different types of research within the translational science spectrum. Additionally, they will gain important skills required to work with interdisciplinary teams in the conduct of translational investigations. Translational Science Training Scholars will gain a firsthand appreciation of the relationship of different types of research within the translational science spectrum. Additionally, they will gain important skills required to work with interdisciplinary teams in the conduct of translational investigations.
The TST TL1 Program is made possible through a grant from the National Institutes of Health/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NIH/NCATS, TL1 TR002647). The TST TL1 is a component of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) administered by the Institute for the Integration of Medicine and Science (IIMS) at UT Health San Antonio. This is a competitive award and there are many applicants every year, so to be selected for the award is an excellent reflection of Baxi’s career.
SELECTION PROCESS
Selection is a multi-stage process: the first phase involved an initial review of application materials by reviewers who were asked to score the application’s merit based on the strength of the candidate, the career development plan, the research plan, and the mentor(s). Reviewers’ comments, as well as scores for the individual review criteria and an overall score, were submitted prior to a meeting of the review committee that occurred on April 20, 2020. At the meeting, the most meritorious applications were discussed and awarded a final overall score by a vote of the committee. The top applications were chosen for further consideration, and the final decision was made by the Program Directors. Since the selection process also reviews the credentials of the supervising mentor, it is also creditworthy for Dr. Ignatius for his postdoc to receive the award.
RESEARCH GOALS
“We plan on investigating the role of different TP53 mutations in sarcomas (especially rhabdomyosarcoma) in the clinic by modeling those mutations in zebrafish. We would like to establish a testing platform in zebrafish where we can assess each TP53 mutation and provide information about that mutation to the clinic, thereby (hopefully) helping with therapeutic interventions.”
Please note, this is the fourth time a post-doc from Greehey CCRI has received this award
Since 2004, UT Health San Antonio, Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute’s (Greehey CCRI) mission has been to advance scientific knowledge relevant to childhood cancer, contribute to understanding its causes, and accelerate the translation of knowledge into novel therapies. Greehey CCRI strives to have a national and global impact on childhood cancer by discovering, developing, and disseminating new scientific knowledge. Our mission consists of three key areas — research, clinical, and education.
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