Puerto Rico Center for Environmental Neuroscience (Cycle II)

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The Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program supports the enhancement of research capabilities of minority-serving institutions through the establishment of centers that effectively integrate education and research. CREST promotes the development of new knowledge, enhancements of the research productivity of individual faculty, and an expanded presence of students historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. With National Science Foundation support, the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus will continue development of its Phase II Center for Environmental Neuroscience. The Phase I Center for Environmental Neuroscience was established to bring together scientists from the traditionally separate fields of neuroscience and environmental science, recognizing the fact that the nervous system serves as the interface between an organism and its environment. Phase II Center investigators and students will explore the impact of anthropogenic environmental degradation on nervous systems at the structural, physiological and behavioral levels. Responses of nervous systems to environmental degradation will be examined in three subprojects partitioned according to tropical habitats: 1) Marine and Estuaries, 2)Rivers and Freshwater, and 3) Terrestrial. Three objectives that encompass the subprojects will identify nervous system responses that will improve risk prediction or development of resilience strategies to diverse environmental stressors. These specific aims will 1) assess effects of environmental contaminants on nervous system structure and function, 2) determine impacts of climatic variation (acidification, temperature changes) on the molecular and cell biology of neurons, and 3) investigate the impact of anthropogenic stimuli (light, sound) on sensory systems and behavior.Center educational and career development activities include a newly created course in Environmental Neuroscience, a Seminar Series, a Responsible Conduct in Research module, and the Yale Ciencia Academy for Career Development, a year-long on-line program that provides graduate students underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines with opportunities for mentoring, peer support and networking. Institutional partnerships will also provide Center students and faculty with access to training and research programs at institutions of cutting-edge investigation in neurobiology and environmental science.