Neurobehavioral Sciences Research Training Program

该计划的目的是培养博士后研究员，研究影响神经系统的各种类型的可塑性，包括神经元发育，动机状态的变化，选择性注意力，学习和疾病。这些过程的神经生物学基础将被研究，强调突触规范的分析，基因表达的控制，细胞骨架的结构，突触可塑性，神经回路的组织，膜电导通道的结构和门控特性，突触传递的神经化学，轴突运输和神经元再生。一个多学科的方法将被教导，在大多数情况下，可以直接对这些问题在分子水平上的分析。培训将提供各种学科，包括膜生物物理学，解剖学和细胞生物学，行为，发育，电生理学，分子生物学，神经化学，药理学和生理学以及脑成像。每个研究员将被鼓励熟悉各种神经生物学学科，以灌输一个以问题为导向，而不是以技术为导向的科学方法。将鼓励学员研究对基础神经科学具有根本重要性的问题，其长期目标是，所获得的知识有朝一日将在神经和精神疾病的预防和治疗中发挥重要作用。培训教师是神经生物学中心的成员，或者（在一种情况下）是哥伦比亚大学精神病学系的成员。培训计划主要围绕研究和培训活动以及中心的设施而建立。培训教师的29名成员具有广泛的专业知识，各种成员在大学的7个不同的基础科学和临床部门联合任命。培训教师在他们的研究和博士前和博士后学生的培训之间将有广泛的积极合作。学员将参加研究生课程和研讨会，但他们的主要培训经验将在一个培训教师的实验室进行为期3-4年的密集研究计划。该方案将在国家一级广泛宣传，并将大力招募妇女和代表性不足的少数群体成员。每年申请资助4名博士后学员。

The purpose of this program, which is entering its 36th year, is to train postdoctoral fellows in research on a variety of types of plasticity that influence the nervous system, including neuronal development, changes in motivational state, selective attention, learning, and disease. The neurobiological bases of these processes will be studied, emphasizing analyses of synaptic specification, control of gene expression, structure of the cytoskeleton, synaptic plasticity, organization of neural circuits, structure and gating properties of membrane conductance channels, neurochemistry of synaptic transmission, axonal transport and neuronal regeneration. A multidisciplinary approach will be taught that in most cases can be directed towards an analysis of these problems at the molecular level. Training will be offered in a variety of disciplines, including membrane biophysics, anatomy and cell biology, behavior, development, electrophysiology, molecular biology, neurochemistry, pharmacology and physiology, and brain imaging. Each fellow will be encouraged to become familiar with a variety of neurobiological disciplines in order to instill a problem-oriented, as opposed to a technique-oriented, approach to science. Trainees will be encouraged to work on problems of fundamental importance to basic neural science, with the long term goal that the resulting knowledge will someday be of importance in the prevention and treatment of neurological and psychiatric diseases. The training faculty are members of the Center for Neurobiology or (in one case) the Department of Psychiatry of Columbia University. The training program is built primarily around the research and training activities and the facilities of the Center. The 29 members of the training faculty have a wide diversity of expertise, and various members hold joint appointments in 7 different basic science and clinical departments of the University. There will be extensive active collaboration between members of the training faculty in their research and in the training of pre- and postdoctoral students. Trainees will participate in graduate courses and seminars, but their primary training experience will come in an intensive 3-4 year research program in the laboratory of one of the training faculty. The program will be broadly advertised at the national level, and a vigorous effort will be made to recruit women and members of underrepresented minority groups. Funds are requested for four postdoctoral trainees per year.