Neuroscience: From Channels to Behavior

描述(由申请人提供)：在该项目14年的任期内，布兰代斯大学建立了一个多学科的项目，包括生物、生物化学、化学和心理学的教员。该计划在神经科学的所有主题上教育学生，从离子通道的分子生物学到衰老的认知效应。Brandeis神经科学课程的独特性与其说是因为教育选择的广度，不如说是因为大多数学生实际上都在利用这种广度。每个教员都要与多个其他人合作，而且大多数项目都涉及多个层次的分析。学生是智力和空间整合的神经科学社区的一部分。由此产生的凝聚力反映在项目的各个方面：课程作业、轮换、论文指导、先进仪器的普遍可用性以及互动的共性。 学生从非常广泛的不同背景进入神经科学(心理学、生物学、生物化学、化学、物理、计算机科学、工程学和数学)。布兰代斯大学广泛的机会和互动使每个学生能够根据自己的个人需求发展，导致低流失率。虽然该方案的规模相对较小，但在过去五年中，已有28名学生毕业(其中五人是代表不足的少数群体的成员)。该计划的一个重要方面是计算神经科学和实验神经科学的整合。重点是确保学生接触到量化问题。学生以优异的资历毕业，并继续在学术界和工业界获得优秀的职位。 课程作业、轮换、多个小组讨论会、命题考试和参与教学的计划在头两年必然会消耗学生的大部分时间。他们不能(也不愿意)在布兰迪斯大学三年级之前把实验室研究作为唯一的重点。因此，在最初的关键年份，他们得不到研究补助金的支持。该培训计划提供关键资金，以支持学生发展广泛的智力技能。该计划有23名导师，每年申请10名学员的资金。 相关性：神经科学计划的目标是了解大脑功能，并为大脑疾病的治疗提供新的策略和治疗方法。神经科学方面的培训尤其具有挑战性，因为所需的信息范围非常广泛。该培训计划旨在为年轻科学家提供智力和技术深度，为脑部疾病的治疗做出重大贡献。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Over the 14 year tenure of this Program, Brandeis University has built a multidisciplinary program encompassing faculty in Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry and Psychology. The Program educates students in the full range of Neuroscience topics, from the molecular biology of ion channels to the cognitive effects of aging. The uniqueness of this Brandeis Neuroscience Program has less to do with the breadth of educational options than with the fact that most students actually take advantage of that breadth. Each member of the faculty collaborates with multiple others, and most projects involve several levels of analysis. Students are part of an intellectually and spatially integrated neuroscience community. The resulting cohesion is reflected in every aspect of the program: coursework, rotations, thesis supervision, the general availability of advanced instrumentation, and the collegiality of interactions. Students enter Neuroscience from a remarkably wide variety of different backgrounds (Psychology, Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics). The breadth of opportunity and interaction at Brandeis University allows each student to develop according to her/his individual needs, and results in a low attrition rate. While the Program is relatively small, over the last five years it has graduated 28 students (five of whom were members of underrepresented minority groups). A strong aspect of the Program is the integration of computational and experimental neuroscience. Emphasis is placed on making sure that students gain exposure to quantitative issues. Students graduate with excellent credentials, and go on to obtain excellent positions in academia and industry. The program of course work, rotations, multiple small-group colloquia, proposition examinations, and participation in teaching necessarily consumes the bulk of a student's time during the first two years. They cannot (and would not) have their laboratory research as their sole focus prior to their third year at Brandeis University. Therefore, they are not supported on research grants in these first critical years. This Training Program provides crucial funding to support students while they develop a broad set of intellectual skills. There are 23 mentors in the Program, and funds for ten trainees per year are requested. RELEVANCE: The goal of the Neuroscience Program is to understand brain function and to provide new strategies and therapies for the treatment of diseases of the brain. Training in neuroscience is particularly challenging because of the very broad range of information required. The Training Program is designed to give young scientists the intellectual and technical depth to make major contributions to the treatment of brain disease.