Monoaminergic Neurons And Limbic Circuits

描述（由申请人提供）：霍华德大学正在进行大量的行为导向的心理健康研究，然而相对较少的教师正在研究心理健康障碍的神经生物学基础。这是一个重要的新兴调查领域。由于少数民族研究科学家在心理健康研究的各个方面都代表不足，本提案的主要目标之一是培养一批有技能和生产力的教师和研究生，他们对心理健康的神经生物学有研究兴趣。这一努力将有助于在霍华德大学建立一个更全面的学者社区，他们对心理健康有着相互关联的兴趣。研究人员建议建立一个双周研究研讨会系列题为“神经生物学和心理健康”，以使心理健康问题的前沿霍华德的学术界。研究人员提出了三个个人研究者研究项目，在电子显微镜水平上研究单胺能神经元与边缘脑回路的神经化学解剖和突触相互作用。这些超微结构研究将补充神经解剖学、神经生理学、神经药理学、分子生物学和行为学领域的现有专业知识，这些领域也将在主要研究者的实验室中使用。调查人员建议从Gatan公司购买一套完整的高分辨率数码相机系统，以加强机构基础设施。将安装在岩心电子显微镜内，配有外部计算机化图像存档、在线和离线计算机化数字图像分析软件和高分辨率打印机。这一改进后的系统将现代化和扩大现有的基础设施能力，并使核心电子显微镜实验室仪器与该领域的其他大学竞争。研究人员建议接受数字显微镜、计算机图像分析和体视学方面的专门培训。通过提供建立优秀研究项目所需的支持，该MRISP应用程序的资金将加强对精神健康障碍神经生物学感兴趣的教师的招聘，雇用和保留。此外，这一支助还将有助于在实地培训大量少数民族研究生。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A significant body of behaviorally oriented mental health research is being pursued at Howard University, however relatively few faculty are studying the neurobiological bases of disorders of mental health. This is an important emerging area of investigation. Since minority research scientists are under-represented in all aspects of mental health research, one of the major goals of this proposal is to nurture the development of a critical mass of skilled and productive faculty and graduate students with research interests in the neurobiology of mental health in the College of Medicine. This effort will help establish a more comprehensive community of scholars at Howard University with interrelated interests in mental health. The investigators propose to establish a bi-weekly Research Seminar Series entitled "Neurobiology and Mental Health" in order to bring mental health issues to the forefront of Howard's academic community. The investigators have proposed three Individual Investigator Research Projects to study the neurochemical anatomy and synaptic interactions of monoaminergic neurons with limbic brain circuits at the electron microscopic level. These ultrastructural studies will complement areas of existing expertise in neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, molecular biology, and behavior which will also be utilized within the laboratories of the Principal Investigators. The investigators propose to strengthen the institutional infrastructure by purchasing a complete high resolution digital camera system from Gatan, Inc. to be installed within the core electron microscope, with external computerized image archiving and both on-line and off-line computerized digital image analysis software and a high resolution printer. This improved system will modernize and expand existing infrastructure capacities, and bring the core electron microscopy laboratory instrumentation into competition with other Universities in the forefront of the field. The investigators propose to receive specialized training in digital microscopy, computerized image analyses, and stereology. By providing the support needed to establish outstanding research programs, funding of this MRISP application will enhance the recruitment, hiring and retention of faculty with interests in the neurobiology of mental health disorders. Furthermore, this support will also facilitate the training of a significant number of minority graduate students in the field.