Grant: Training Grant

The explosion of genetic information, such as the sequencing of the human genome, has created a demand for highly skilled scientists who have a combination of computational and biological training. The bioinformatics training program meets this need in Canada by training scientists to work in this specialized environment of using biomedical information to improve health research. This interdisciplinary program has been successful in bringing together leading biomedical and informatics scientists from key institutions in British Columbia. During its 6 years of development, the program has established a training platform of sufficient depth to produce scientists with exactly the right combination of skills to exploit the enormous and increasing quantities of biological and health data. Students, undertaking a Masters or PhD in Bioinformatics, are educated through a series of team-taught graduate courses that include ethics training¿an area that is currently topical in health research. The instructors also use progressive teaching approaches, such as problem-based learning. The innovative research rotation portion of the training program engages students in multiple research areas and different methodologies, which adds important skills for resolving major health issues and scientific challenges. Students rotate to academic laboratories and translational research groups at hospitals and industry both in Canada and abroad. By expanding the scope of a student¿s research interactions, each is better equipped with team-based research skills, which are an increasingly valuable asset in solving critical health care issues. A renewed training program will continue to provide excellence in bioinformatics training through innovation and integration of ethics, and will further expand its strong team-based and translational research skills¿all of which set it apart from other bioinformatics programs.