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As the Director of the Vision Research Training Program (VRTP) at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, Peter F. Hitchcock, Ph.D., plays a key role in training the next generation of vision scientists. This is in addition to his extensive research program on injuryinduced regeneration of retina cells. Understanding this regeneration will allow scientists to design stem cellbased replacement therapies for retinal diseases.
The VRTP, which began in 2002, provides financial support and covers tuition for trainees who plan to pursue careers in vision science. To date, 21 trainees (13 graduate students and 8 postdoctoral scholars) have benefited from this program. Students who are selected for the VRTP work with outstanding vision scientists in their laboratories and can take advantage of the multidisciplinary research environment at the U-M. Vision science trainees perform research in the fields of biological chemistry, molecular physiology, cell and developmental biology, genetics, molecular epidemiology, and neuroscience. "The VRTP really is the cooperative effort of vision scientists on campus to train the next generation," Dr. Hitchcock says.
The program is supported by the Institutional Training Grant, funded by the National Eye Institute. Dr. Hitchcock is Principal Investigator.
Adding to his educational activities, Dr. Hitchcock serves as the first Director of the U-M Medical School's Office of Postdoctoral Studies. This office serves, in part, to enhance the career development for postdoctoral fellows within the Medical School. "There are more than 500 research fellows within the Medical School who handle the bulk of the research performed in our labs. While this research is critical to the mission of the Medical School, career development is the fellows' principal concern," says Dr. Hitchcock. "Our fellows are highly skilled and highly trained, and they can choose from a number of career opportunities, including academic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical research, science writing, and science policy. This office helps them identify their career goals."
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