Biomedical research is undergoing revolutionary changes, as we have now attained key pieces of information about the molecular machinery controlling the formation, development, specialization, and functional organization of cells, along with the integration of biochemical and chemical cues that engage complicated molecular signaling networks in the whole organism. Technological platforms have advanced to a stage where all biological entities–transcripts, proteins, lipids, and sugars–could be incorporated into modeling the operation and regulation of experimental and biological systems. These scientific resources present an unprecedented opportunity to tackle fundamental questions about the whole organism and its environment.

A major challenge will be synthesizing our existing and rapidly increasing molecular knowledge to study human populations and their environment for effective development of new public health strategies. The Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) Roadmap Fellows will be among the future leaders at the forefront of a scientific application that blends both biological and quantitative methods to pioneer the discovery of the molecular signatures of complex diseases (e.g., cancer, obsesity, asthma, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases).

Stipend and tuition support for this training program is funded through a National Institutes of Health Roadmap Initiative (T90 DK070078 and R90 DK071507).