Training Undergraduates in
STEM Cell Engineering and Biology
Our program aims to offer specialized training in STEM Cell Biology and Engineering to a diverse group of student leaders.
Dive into STEM Cell Science: TUSCEB’s Path to Regenerative Medicine
Our Objective
Provide UC Merced students training in stem cells, regenerative medicine, and related areas in biotechnology to provide them with the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to support the industry’s hiring needs for the growing field.
Foundational Coursework
The trainee’s primary training component will comprise UC Merced courses, which seamlessly align with the majority of degree programs.
Laboratory and Industry Internships
This training includes three key components: Research laboratory work with a UC Merced faculty mentor. An internal internship focusing on essential skills like cell culture, characterization, microscopy, flow cytometry, animal handling, experimental design, and lab safety. An external internship with Industry Partners, providing technical skills applicable to stem cells, regenerative medicine, and therapies, in line with the CIRM mission.
Capstone Project
The trainee will take a capstone course in which the trainee will write-up and orally defend a mini thesis. Each Scholar will also present this research to the community and the following year’s cohort of COMPASS Scholars at our Outreach Symposium.
Patient and Healthcare Engagement Activities
The specific objectives of the clinical experience are to gain insight into
the healthcare field and garner a better understanding of the context, diagnosis, and management of
diseases that are and could be treated with stem cell therapy.
Community Outreach and Education Activities
At the end of each cohort’s Second Spring Semester, we will organize a COMPASS Community Outreach Event at UC Merced at our new conference center with active learning classroom. This one-day symposium will highlight the UC Merced COMPASS Scholars and educating the public about stem cells, gene therapy, regenerative medicine, and disparities in access to health care.
The UC Merced COMPASS program, Training Undergraduates in Stem Cell Engineering and Biology (TUSCEB), encompasses an intensive training regimen. It encompasses coursework with laboratory elements, a human stem cell culture module, internal research culminating in a capstone project, external industry internships, clinical exposure, diversity training, professional development, and community outreach.
“A research university is a community bound by learning, discovery and engagement. As the first American student-centered research university built in the 21st century, UC Merced’s strong graduate and research programs mesh with high-quality undergraduate programs. New knowledge increasingly depends on links among the disciplines, working together on questions that transcend the traditional disciplines. UC Merced fosters and encourages cross-disciplinary inquiry and discovery.”
Our Mission
Join our next Cohort
Open Enrollment will begin August 2024
TUSCEB 