Puerto Rico Center for Environmental Neuroscience (Cycle II)

科学技术卓越研究中心（CREST）计划通过建立有效整合教育和研究的中心，支持提高为少数民族服务的机构的研究能力。CREST促进了新知识的发展，提高了个别教师的研究生产力，扩大了在科学、技术、工程和数学学科中历史上代表性不足的学生的存在。在国家科学基金会的支持下，波多黎各大学医学院将继续发展其环境神经科学第二阶段中心。环境神经科学第一阶段中心的建立是为了将神经科学和环境科学这两个传统上分开的领域的科学家聚集在一起，认识到神经系统是生物体与其环境之间的界面。第二阶段将从结构、生理和行为三个层面探讨人为环境退化对神经系统的影响。神经系统对环境退化的反应将根据热带栖息地分为三个子项目：1)海洋和河口，2)河流和淡水，以及3)陆地。包含子项目的三个目标将确定神经系统反应，这些反应将改善风险预测或开发针对不同环境压力源的恢复策略。这些具体目标将包括：1)评估环境污染物对神经系统结构和功能的影响；2)确定气候变化（酸化、温度变化）对神经元分子和细胞生物学的影响；3)研究人为刺激（光、声）对感觉系统和行为的影响。中心的教育和职业发展活动包括新开设的环境神经科学课程、系列研讨会、研究中的负责任行为模块，以及耶鲁大学Ciencia职业发展学院，这是一个为期一年的在线项目，为科学、技术、工程和数学学科中代表性不足的研究生提供指导、同伴支持和网络的机会。机构合作伙伴关系还将为中心的学生和教师提供在神经生物学和环境科学前沿研究机构进行培训和研究项目的机会。

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.