High School Student NeuroResearch Program (HSNRP)

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ABSTRACT The University of Arizona (UA) High School Student NeuroResearch Program (HSNRP) introduces, trains, and nurtures a growing pipeline of diverse Arizona high school students and progressing undergraduates, a majority of underrepresent- ed disadvantaged minorities in basic, translational, and clinical research on the normal and abnormal nervous system, neurological disorders, and stroke, and encourages advanced research experiences and health/medical/science careers. We are leveraging strong infrastructure, recruitment strategies, faculty mentor participation, and outstanding trainee productivity of our long-standing federally funded multidisciplinary disadvantaged high school student, undergraduate, and medical student summer research programs and year-round enrichment activities. Fourteen-16 full-time 8-12 week summer high school and 4-6 undergraduate trainees annually for the next 5 years will be offered an expanding menu of closely mentored NeuroResearch (NR) experiences. For retention in the pipeline, select HSNRP trainees will be reap- pointed for more advanced NR. Trainees will be integrated into an innovative, inquiry-based Summer Institute on Medi- cal Ignorance (SIMI) which interweaves biomedical Knowns and Unknowns with featured NR topics and mentor "stories" and sustains the momentum by enrichment activities year-round. SIMI emphasizes "translating translation and scientific questioning" and includes a brief Introduction to the language of medicine, seminars, laboratory/leadership/ multimedia skill workshops and practicums, clinical correlations, social networking, and career advising. A Question- arium forms a mobile phone accessible platform for training and networking. Within departments and specialized Centers of Excellence with Neuroscience emphasis and overseen by an experienced Leadership Team, student research will encompass in vivo, vitro, situ, silico, and modeling approaches to neurobiology/disorders including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, ALS, epilepsy, head trauma, hydrocephalus, muscular dystrophy, pain/addiction, molecular psychiatry, brain development, mapping, blood-brain barrier/neuroprotection, neuroimaging, neurogenomics, neuroengineering, deep brain stimulation, brain tumors, cerebrovascular disease, stroke, neurohealth disparities, and rehabilitation. Based on our ~29-year track record and established access to large pools of disadvantaged Arizona students reflected in ~650 SIMI- trained high school students followed with many in basic/clinical NR (undergraduate/graduate/professional biomedical- health career) pipeline, we expect HSNRP to continue expanding the network of diverse curious researchers, physicians and other health professionals; and improve "neurohealth" literacy through community engagement. Ongoing short- and long-term evaluation includes surveys, database registry, follow-up, and portfolios to document efficacy.