Training Program in Human Cognitive Neuroscience

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DESCRIPTION (Provided by applicant): The cognitive neuroscience program at UC, Berkeley (UCB) has experienced an abrupt growth in areas focused on human research with the appointments of two behavioral neurologists as Full Professors in the Department of Psychology (Mark D?Esposito, Director of the Wills Brain Imaging Center and Robert Knight) and by the appointment of senior cognitive neuropsychologist (Lynn Robertson). As a result there are 3 fully functioning new laboratories run by senior investigators on campus that focus on human cognitive neuroscience in addition to several preexisting laboratories across campus with a focus in this area. The development of a cognitive neuroscience graduate training program at UCB has been swift, and the demand for training in this area has multiplied greatly. To help meet the demand, we are requesting support for 8 graduate students per year. Trainees will engage in training activities at both the UCB campus and the Office of Veterans Affairs medical facility in Martinez (VA) where 12 active laboratories continue to focus on cognitive neuroscience research. The link between the two institutions is exceptionally strong in this area. One of the strengths of the program is the interdisciplinary background of its faculty and the interdisciplinary nature of training. Another strength is the access the program affords to observe a wide range of cognitive deficits associated with neural abnormalities, both structural and neurochemical in nature. The investigation of neurologically intact and neurologically impaired individuals with behavioral, electrophysiological and neuroimaging measurers gives students an appreciation of the breadth of the field and necessity for integration and converging evidence. Applicants to graduate programs at UCB have some of the highest qualifications in the country, and selection of trainees from among the accepted students will emphasize the potential for professional and scientific success. UCB has made a substantial commitment to health and neuroscience in the coming decade, and there is every reason to believe that the demand for translational training like that discussed in this application, will only grow.