Enhancing Translational Mood Disorders Research at UTHSCSA

描述(由申请人提供)：本提案由位于圣安东尼奥的德克萨斯大学健康科学中心生物医学神经科学中心内的情绪障碍翻译核心中心(MD-TCC)提交。MD-TCC由来自药理学和精神病学系的临床前和临床研究人员组成的核心小组组成，他们对抑郁症和其他情绪障碍的机制和治疗研究有共同的兴趣。这是一个积极和互动的小组，有充分的证据表明合作出版和资金。提议提供资金，以支持在两年内为该小组招聘两名高素质的新教员，要求每人每年支付25万美元的直接费用，以支持他们的工资和福利，以及为每个人提供一个新的实验室研究人员职位的工资和福利，并酌情为其新的研究方案提供设备和用品。其中一名新教师将是一名临床前科学家，主要任职于药理学系，另一名将是一名翻译/临床科学家，主要任职于精神病学系。两人都将在合作翻译研究的环境中接受培训。我们计划努力协调这两位科学家的招聘工作，使他们各自的研究兴趣不仅互补并融入MD-TCC，而且还将相互补充和融合。我们计划搜索的可能领域可能包括抑郁症的遗传学和表观遗传学；共病心血管疾病和抑郁症的病因和治疗；抑郁症的神经免疫功能和脑细胞因子信号；影响发育和衰老中脆弱性和韧性的因素。MD-TCC的资深成员不仅将为新教员提供充分的富有成效的合作机会，还将在他们职业发展的许多方面提供指导、建议和指导，并将提供一个同行小组，帮助他们开发和完善研究计划，这些计划将在可再生外部资金方面具有竞争力，尤其是来自NIMH的资金。MD-TCC的翻译研究活动，以及这项中心拨款将支持的新教师的活动，与NIMH战略计划和恢复法案的目标是一致的。 与公共健康相关：抑郁症是一种使人虚弱且代价高昂的疾病。与NIMH战略计划的目标一致，MD-TCC将UTHSCSA的临床前和临床研究人员聚集在一起，促进基础科学发现转化为临床研究，并最终改进抑郁症的治疗。这项提议通过支持在这一群体中招聘两名新的教员来推进这一目的。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal is submitted by the Mood Disorders Translational Core Center (MD-TCC), within the Center for Biomedical Neuroscience at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The MD-TCC is comprised of a core group of preclinical and clinical investigators from the Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry who share an interest in research into the mechanisms and treatment of depression and other mood disorders. This is an active and interactive group, with ample evidence of collaborative publication and funding. The proposal is for funding to support the recruitment of two high-caliber new faculty members into this group over two years, requesting $250,000 per year in direct costs for each to support their salary and benefits as well as salary and benefits for one new laboratory research personnel slot for each, equipment and supplies as appropriate to their new research programs. One of these new faculty will be a preclinical scientist with a primary appointment in the Department of Pharmacology, and the other will be a translational/clinical scientist with a primary appointment in the Department of Psychiatry. Both will have been trained in an environment of collaborative translational research. We plan to try to coordinate the recruitment of these two scientists such that their own research interests will not only complement and integrate them into the MD-TCC, but will also complement and Integrate with each other. Possible areas in which we plan to target our search could include genetics and epigenetics of depression; etiology and treatment of co-morbid cardiovascular disease and depression; neuroimmune function and brain cytokine signaling in depression; factors affecting vulnerability and resilience in development and aging. The senior members of the MD-TCC will not only provide the new faculty members with ample opportunities for productive collaboration, but will also provide mentoring, advice and guidance in many aspects of their career development, and will provide a peer group assisting them in the development and refinement of research programs that will be competitive for renewable external funding, most notably from NIMH. The translational research activities of the MD-TCC, and those of the new faculty that this center grant will support, are consistent with the goals of the NIMH strategic plan, and of the Recovery Act. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Depression is a debilitating and costly disorder. Consistent with the goals of the NIMH Strategic Plan, the MD-TCC brings together preclinical and clinical researchers at the UTHSCSA, to foster the movement of basic science discoveries into clinical research, and ultimately to improving the treatment of depression. This proposal advances that purpose by supporting the recruitment of two new faculty into this group.