COBRE IN SENSORY NEUROSCIENCE

感觉神经科学为科学研究提供了多学科方法的丰富挑战，其中从分子到系统方法的所有层次的分析都可以与认知感知事件相关。我们建议建立一个多学科的感觉神经科学生物医学研究卓越中心，其成员结合他们的集体经验，解决与人类疾病治疗发展有关的基本科学问题。五个研究项目的建议是围绕发展和可塑性的主题。技术范围从遗传到功能性脑成像分析先天性和发育性感觉障碍，并结合解剖，生理和分子分析发育中的神经元在体外提出。这些研究针对感觉神经生物学中重要而及时的主题，并利用动物和人类，包括儿科受试者。 项目#2利用功能性脑成像来表征成人和儿童近视的中枢缺陷，并定义和评估新的治疗策略。项目#3研究轴突寻路的结构基础，以在中枢听觉系统发育过程中支配适当的目标。项目#4评估钙信号传导和神经传递在突触接触的形成和稳定中的作用。项目#5识别引导听觉系统细胞群的音调或频率组织形成的分子信号。五个拟议项目中有四个通过了NIH的价值审查，并建议使用小额赠款机制提供资金。拟议中的中心锻造我们国家的两个医学院之间的联系，并发生在一个战略时刻，当两个机构都在投资扩大其神经科学研究企业。这组感觉神经科学家已经达到了临界质量，并与教师的扩张和研究支持要求在此，将有支持成为一个独特的国际区别的资源。在授予此COBRE后，西弗吉尼亚医学院将在资助期间将WFVU COBRE科学家的整个队伍重新设计和完全翻新的实验室空间，马歇尔大学医学院承诺在资助时扩大和翻新COBRE实验室空间。

Sensory neuroscience offers a rich class of challenges of multi- disciplinary approaches to scientific investigation, in which all levels of analysis, from molecular to systems approaches, can be related to cognitive perceptual events. We propose to create a multi-disciplinary Center for Biomedical Research Excellence in Sensory Neuroscience whose members combined their collective experience to solve basic scientific problems that bear on development of treatments for human disease. Five research projects are proposed that are centered on the topics of development and plasticity. Techniques ranging from genetic to functional brain imaging analysis of congenital and developmental sensory disorders, and combined anatomical, physiological and molecular analyses of developing neurons in vitro are proposed. These studies are aimed at important and timely topics in sensory neurobiology and utilize both animal and human, including pediatric subjects. Project #2 utilizes functional brain imaging to characterize central deficits in Amybylopia in adults and children and to define and evaluate new treatment strategies. Project #3 investigates the structural basis for axonal pathfinding to innervate appropriate targets during development of the central auditory system. Project #4 evaluates the role of calcium signaling and neural transmission in the formation and stabilization of synaptic contacts. Project #5 identifies molecular signals that guide formation of tonotopic, or frequency organization of auditory system cell groups. Four of the five proposed projects have passed merit review at NIH and were recommended for funding using small grant mechanisms. The proposed center forges ties between our state's two medical schools and occurs at a strategic time when both institutions are investing in expansion of their neuroscience research enterprise. This group of sensory neuroscientists has reached a critical mass and, with the faculty expansion and research support requested herein, will have the support to become a unique resource of international distinction. Upon awarding of this COBRE, the West Virginia School of Medicine will relocate the entire contingent of WFVU COBRE scientists to redesigned and completely renovated laboratory space during the term of funding Marshall University School of Medicine pledges to expand and renovate COBRE lab space when funded.