Now in its second year the Microbiome Center Fellowship unites eight graduate students from across campus to collaborate on projects spanning human environmental and agricultural microbiomes.

Over seven months the program fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and equips students with a systems-level approach to tackling global microbiome challenges. Fellows receive an $8,000 stipend and access to advanced computational and sequencing resources through the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies.

The initiative is led by the UMD Center of Excellence in Microbiome Sciences launched in 2023 with support from the UMD Grand Challenges Grant program.

Microbes are everywhere influencing human and animal health agriculture and the environment says Gabi Steinbach associate research scientist and program coordinator at the center. Each habitat hosts a unique mix of microbes and these organisms move between environments linking ecosystems together.

We’re creating a community where students not only develop technical expertise but also learn to collaborate across cultural and disciplinary boundaries she says. Building these connections is essential for advancing microbiome science.

At a recent kickoff meeting fellows their advisers and program leaders engaged in activities designed to spark collaboration including a lively and productive speed chatting session focused on research interests and resource sharing.

This year’s cohort includes Raunak Dey and Nakia Fallen from the College of Computer Mathematical and Natural Sciences Claire Barlow from the School of Public Health Darby Steinman Ingrid Roselyne Dukundane and Yuzhu Mao from the A. James Clark School of Engineering and Erin Harrelson and Yue Jiang from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Over the course of the fellowship participants will take part in team science training cross-disciplinary workshops and seminars designed to prepare them for collaborative research and real-world problem solving. As a capstone the fellows will organize and host an invited panel discussion in December selecting a topic based on insights gained during the program. The event will be open to the wider campus community and highlight the collaborative work and ideas generated through the fellowship.

We’re eager to see how these students apply what they’ve learned to advance the field of microbiome science says Steinbach. Their December panel will reflect the kind of creative cross-disciplinary thinking needed to tackle today’s complex scientific challenges.

Source: https://www.umiacs.umd.edu/news-events/news/fellowship-program-builds-bridges-microbiome-sciences