Training Program in Neuroscience

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Project Summary The Neuroscience Training Program (NTP) at Johns Hopkins University was established in 1983 to provide students with advanced instruction and research training in fundamental neuroscience and the basis of neurological diseases. It now includes 73 training faculty in 14 different departments across the university, as well as several associated institutes where neuroscience research is performed and the Janelia Research Campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The program encompasses a broad array of research areas, including molecular, cellular, developmental, sensory, systems, cognitive and computational neuroscience, as well as neurobiology of disease, providing diverse training options and unique opportunities for collaboration for our students. We typically matriculate 14-16 Ph.D. candidates each year, from a pool of >500 applicants, and 1-4 additional candidates for combined MD/Ph.D. degrees (who are admitted through a separate process). The program is currently supported by eight slots from this T32, as well as institutional funds through the Department of Neuroscience. Students enter the program with diverse backgrounds ranging from computer science to biochemistry. To ensure that they learn the basic tenets of neuroscience, they are required to take a year-long integrative lecture and laboratory course, “Neuroscience and Cognition", and receive rigorous formal training in quantitative methods, statistics, rigor and reproducibility and neurological diseases. Students learn about research opportunities through a mini-symposium series led by Program Faculty (featuring short chalk talks), the Program Retreat, and Lab Lunches (which feature work-in-progress by NTP faculty). This information is used to help students arrange three 8-12-week laboratory rotations, which are typically completed by the end of the first academic year, and form the basis for selecting a thesis advisor. By the end of the second year, students have completed three elective courses, from 18 small seminar-style courses in different neuroscience specialties or relevant courses offered in other departments. In the spring of Year 2, students write and defend a Thesis Proposal that is written in the form of a Predoctoral NRSA application, and are tested on their understanding of the broader topic area and methods for analysis and reproducibility. Each student is advised by two Pre-thesis Advisors in Years 1-2 (at 3 month intervals) and an individualized Thesis Advisory Committee thereafter (at 6 month intervals). Students complete an Individual Development Plan annually and discuss this with their advisor and the Thesis Advisory Committee. The Graduate Program Steering Committee meets quarterly to carefully track the advancement of each student in the program and establish overall program policy. Currently, 84 students are enrolled in the NTP and the average time to complete the Ph.D. for the past ten years is 6.0 years. Of the students who have graduated from our program, 93% are pursuing careers in a science or medicine-related field. Here, we request funds to support five students during their first two years in the program (10 slots).