ASBMB program for MOSAIC scholars
The ASBMB is excited to leverage its considerable organizational and scholarly resources to implement a National Institutes of Health-funded UE5 program (UE5GM139192) to support K99/R00 MOSAIC (Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers) scholars. The program will:
- Build a cohesive community of practice in which MOSAIC scholars will be paired with mentors with established records of scientific, funding and mentoring success and experience in culturally competent coaching practices.
- Provide a suite of career-development opportunities and sponsorship to support the personal and professional development of MOSAIC scholars. These activities will foster networking within a cross-institutional community of scholars, and polish skills in the art of science communication, proposal writing and laboratory management.
- Enhance professional networks of MOSAIC scholars via the Early Career Reviewer program with the Journal of Biological Chemistry editorial board, linkages through the Maximizing Access Committee and, more broadly, the ASBMB community.
- Enhance institutional accountability for supporting career advancement of MOSAIC scholars by convening forums to share evidence-based best practices for improving mentoring, persistence, recruitment and retention of URM scientists.
Anchored by the Maximizing Access Committee, the ASBMB MOSAIC program also taps into programming developed by the Education and Professional Development Committee as well as the Science Outreach and Communication Committee to provide customized career-development support to the MOSAIC scholars.
What is MOSAIC?
The MOSAIC program is part of the NIH’s efforts to enhance diversity within the academic biomedical research workforce, and is designed to facilitate the transition of promising postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds into independent faculty careers in research-intensive institutions. Learn more about the program
Want to learn more?
Key activities
Years 1 & 2
- Postdoc career minisymposium, including networking with speakers and ASBMB postdoc members
- Publication/presentation best practices training
- Art of Science Communication training
- Skill building: interviewing and presenting chalk talks
- Oral spotlight presentation at ASBMB annual meeting
- Maximizing Access Committee networking
Years 3 & 4
- IMAGE grant writing workshop
- Lab management workshop
- "Mentoring and Diversity Building Best Practices" forum at ASBMB annual meeting for scholars and mentors
- Optional advocacy and education fellows training
- Maximizing Access Committee networking
Year 5+
- Training in culturally competent mentoring
- Scientific presentation at ASBMB annual meeting
- "Ethics of Peer Review" training
- Join JBC editorial board as Early Career Reviewer
- Symposium on diversity at ASBMB annual meeting
- Maximizing Access Committee and JBC Editorial Board networking
The third cohort of ASBMB MOSAIC scholars
Edwin Alfonzo
California Institute of Technology
Project: Unlocking new chemistries in extant enzymes for synthesizing bioactive molecules
Joanna-Lynn C. Borgogna
Montana State University
Project: A multi-omic and integrative longitudinal evaluation of the role of lipid, antioxidant, and osmoprotectant metabolites in the genitourinary syndrome of menopause by race and ethnicity
Timothy J. Hines
The Jackson Laboratory
Project: Understanding the role of the integrated stress response in tRNA synthetase-associated Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
Colin L. Hisey
The Ohio State University
Project: Machine learning-enabled classification of extracellular vesicles using nanoplasmonic microfluidics
Emma M. Lessieur Contreras
University of California, Irvine
Project: Retina-derived extracellular vesicles in diabetic retinopathy: Their potential role in pathogenesis and therapy
Renato S. Navarro
Stanford University
Project: Catheter-injectable system for local drug delivery after myocardial infarction
Brian O’Grady
Vanderbilt University
Project: Development of a 3D neurovascular unit for in vitro modeling of subarachnoid hemorrhage and screening therapies
Melissa Ramirez
California Institute of Technology
Project: Methods for enantioselective spirocycle synthesis and radical hydroamination of trisubstituted alkenes
Aleah Roberts
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Project: Investigating molecular mechanisms of endocytosis of the activated B cell receptor in health and disease
Kendrick Smith
University of Michigan
Project: Designing chemoenzymatic approaches to biologically active molecules enabled by enzyme library screening
Tigist Tamir
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Project: Regulation of oxidative stress signaling by tyrosine phosphorylation of antioxidant enzymes
Program directors
Ruma Banerjee
- ASBMB Maximizing Access Committee
- Vincent Massey Professor of Biological Chemistry
- University of Michigan
- rbanerjee@asbmb.org
- 732-660-988
Kirsten F. Block
- Director of Education, Professional Development and Outreach
- ASBMB
- kblock@asbmb.org
Advisory board
Natalie Ahn
- Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry
- University of Colorado at Boulder
Vahe Bandarian
- ASBMB Maximizing Access Committee
- Professor of Chemistry
- The University of Utah
Squire Booker
- HHMI Investigator
- Evan Pugh Professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Pennsylvania State University
Enrique M. De La Cruz
- Professor and Chair of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry
- Yale University
Sonia C. Flores
- ASBMB Maximizing Access Committee
- Professor of Medicine
- University of Colorado–Denver
Richard McGee
- Associate Dean for Professional Development and Professor of Medical Education
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Related resources
IMAGE grant writing workshop
Transform your grant applications! Learn from NSF, NIH and HHMI program directors how to write winning proposals for federal research funding.
The Art of Science Communication
An online course that provides fundamental training in science communication.