Research Training in Neurological Rehabilitation

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is a proposal to provide research training to six postdoctoral fellows in scientific areas relevant to the rehabilitation of persons with neurologic disorders, physical impairments, disabilities and secondary complications associated with neurologic disease. This program incorporates the combined resources of the University of Pennsylvania (PENN) and the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute (MOSS), and will be organized around 8 Research Modules (1) Basic mechanisms of neuronal injury and repair; (2) Functional imaging of neurobehavioral recovery; (3) Rehabilitation outcomes measurement; (4) Rehabilitation bioengineering; (5) Pediatric neuro rehabilitation; (6) Cognitive rehabilitation; (7) Cognitive neuroscience, and (8) Secondary complications associated with neurologic disease. Each Module will be led by an experienced, nationally recognized investigator, who will provide leadership to the training program and will engage additional capable faculty to provide specialized research experiences to the trainees. Opportunities for trainees to discuss, learn, present and consider the implications of their research for rehabilitation medicine are provided through attendance at clinical case conferences and exposure to patients with neurologic disabilities. Trainees will also be encouraged to attend courses in biomedical graduate studies at PENN (including PENN's required short course in ethical conduct of scientific research) and research seminars at MOSS and PENN. Finally, the training program will continue with its successful monthly seminar series: Philadelphia Regional Research Seminars in Rehabilitation, organized jointly by the NCMRR-supported training grants at Penn-Moss and MCP/ Hahnemann. In addition to lectures by faculty and visiting scientist, these seminars will include presentation by trainees themselves. This proposal represents the culmination of nearly a decade of work in the development of a strong training program in neuro rehabilitation at the University of Pennsylvania and the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute. This program is in keeping with the recent Institute of Medicine report on Enabling America and their recommendations to develop a basic science infrastructure in rehabilitation science and engineering. The report outlines the cross cutting issues, spanning the development of specific animal models of disability, the medical care of persons with disability and outcomes research evaluating the function and quality of life in persons with disabling conditions. This program produces trainees to be well versed in scientific methodology, clinically sophisticated, and skilled in communicating the results of their work, so they can assume roles as future leaders in the rehabilitation research community.