Multidisciplinary Training in Developmental Neuroscience

描述(申请人提供)：注意神经系统发育的研究是提高我们对正常大脑功能、精神障碍和适应不良行为的知识基础的关键之一。为了有效，这样的研究必须在方法上是多学科的，考虑发展神经科学研究生涯的年轻研究人员必须接受相应的培训。这就是当前申请的目标，该申请建议建立一个专门培训发展神经科学博士前研究员的计划。寻求资金来培训对建立发展神经科学研究生涯感兴趣的博士前学生。培训将包括在基础神经科学方面打下坚实的课程基础，重点是认识到发育中的神经系统的复杂性，以及广泛持续参与实验室研究和附属活动。该项目系由生物医学科学研究生教育系17名成员组成。他们的招募是基于神经系统发育的分子、细胞和系统方面的研究兴趣，包括分化、神经发生、神经胶质发生、神经递质和受体的功能和动力学、离子通道和相关的信号转导过程、突触可塑性、功能结构的出现、神经和行为敏感期以及神经加工。培训计划的主要目标是确保每个受训人员至少在这些学科中的一个学科获得实践研究熟练程度，包括最先进的神经解剖学和图像处理技术、细胞生物学、分子生物学和电生理学的方方面面。在计划学院的组建中，目标不仅是跨越研究学科，而且是跨越部门和集群的边界。该计划的多学科性质有利于教师和受训者研究方法、思想和培训机会的相互融合。尽管培训的重点是研究方面的培训，但培训计划将提供具体的期刊配音、研讨会和研讨会。该计划还将包括处理生存技能、拨款撰写和科学研究中负责任的行为等问题的专门内容。还制定了一项计划，将增加来自代表性不足的种族和民族群体的博士前申请者人数。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Attention to the study of the development of the nervous system is one of the keys in advancing our knowledge base in normal brain function, mental disorders and maladaptive behaviors. To be effective, such an undertaking must be multidisciplinary in its approach and young investigators contemplating research careers in developmental neuroscience must be accordingly trained. This is the goal of the current application, which proposes to establish a program devoted to the training of predoctoral fellows in Developmental Neuroscience. Funding is sought to train predoctoral students with expressed interest in establishing research careers in Developmental Neuroscience. The training will include a firm curricular grounding in the fundamental neurosciences, with emphasis on appreciating the complexity of the developing nervous system, and on extensive continuous participation in laboratory research as well as collateral activities. The Program Faculty consists of 17 members of the Faculty of the Graduate Education of the Biomedical Sciences. They are recruited based on research interests in molecular, cellular and systems aspects of nervous system development, including differentiation, neurogenesis, gliogenesis, function and dynamics of neurotransmitters and receptors, ion channels and related signal transduction processes, synaptic plasticity, emergence of functional architectures, neural and behavioral sensitive periods, and neural processing. It is the primary goal of the training program to ensure that every trainee acquires hands-on research proficiency in at least one of these disciplines, incorporating all facets of state-of-the-art neuroanatomy and image-processing techniques, cell biology, molecular biology and electrophysiology. In assembling the Program Faculty, the goal has been to cross not only research disciplines but also departmental and cluster boundaries. This multidisciplinary nature of the Program favors cross-fertilization of research methodologies, ideas and training opportunities for both preceptors and trainees. Although the emphasis is on training in research, the training program will offer specific journal dubs, seminars and workshops. The program will also incorporate specialized components dealing with issues such as survival skills, grant writing and responsible conduct in scientific research. A plan is also in place that will increase the pool of predoctoral applicants from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.