Autism Research Program

描述（由申请人提供）：NIMH理事会工作小组关于转化神经科学和精神疾病的报告（www.nih.nimh.gov - 2008 -由Pat Levitt共同主持）指出，发现疾病病因的研究议程的范围是巨大的——从个体基因到细胞到神经系统，最后到患者的生活环境。显然，将来自许多学科和技术的相关元素汇集在一起来解决这些问题将需要研究人员之间的新联盟。这始终是一个挑战，很大程度上是由于研究方法的学科之间的根本差异。这反过来又阻碍了合作和翻译。南加州大学（USC）凯克医学院（KSOM）的Zilkha神经遗传研究所（ZNI）和基因组精神病学中心（CGP）共同定位于在南加州大学自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的研究中发挥真正的作用。这次合作之所以成为可能，是因为KSOM新招募的领导层，帕特·莱维特（Pat Levitt）是ZNI主任，卡洛斯·帕托（Carlos Pato）是精神病学和行为科学系主任，也是CGP的创始主任。P30基金将使现在投资于相互依赖的ASD研究和培训活动成为可能，这将增强我们将基础科学信息转化为ASD实践的能力，并作为南加州大学其他精神健康障碍项目建设的典范。因此，这个P30申请是一个启动南加州大学自闭症研究项目的请求。我们建议招聘两名新的终身教职初级教员：第一名将是一名个人，其主要愿景是在南加州大学、KSOM和CHLA校区推进ASD的人类遗传和基因X环境研究。第二名将是一位主要目标是推进ASD遗传和环境流行病学研究的个人，利用KSOM在预防医学方面的长期优势，以及通过ZNI和CGP对基于大脑的疾病的新重视。机构资金将用于抵消其他启动成本，包括我们在P30支持之外为每位教师提供至少两年额外资源的全部承诺。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the NIMH Council Work Group Report on Transformational Neuroscience and Mental Illness (www.nih.nimh.gov - 2008 - co-chaired by Pat Levitt), it was noted that the scope of the research agenda to discover disease etiologies was vast-from individual genes to cells to neural systems and finally to patients in the contexts in which they live. Clearly, bringing together the relevant elements from many disciplines and technologies to bear on these questions will require new alliances among researchers. This is always a challenge, due in large part to fundamental differences between disciplines in research approaches. This, in turn, hinders collaboration and translation. The Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute (ZNI) and the Center for Genomic Psychiatry (CGP) at the Keck School of Medicine (KSOM) of the University of Southern California (USC) together are positioned to make a real difference in the investigation of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at USC. This collaboration is possible because of newly recruited leadership at KSOM, Pat Levitt as Director of the ZNI and Carlos Pato as Chair of the Dept Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and founding Director of the CGP. P30 funding will make it possible to invest now in interdependent research and training activities in ASD, which will enhance our ability to translate fundamental scientific Information into practice in ASD, and serve as a model for program building in other mental health disorders at USC. Thus, this P30 application is a request to jump-start the Autism Research Program at USC. We propose to recruit two new tenure track junior faculty members: The first will be an individual whose main vision is to advance human genetic and gene X environment studies in ASD across the USC, KSOM and CHLA campuses. The second will be an individual whose main vision is to advance genetic and environmental epidemiological studies in ASD, taking advantage of the KSOM long-standing strengths in preventive medicine and the new emphasis on brain-based disorders through the ZNI and CGP. Institutional funds will be available to offset other start-up costs, including our full commitment for at least two additional years of resources for each faculty member beyond the P30 support. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This program will work to organize a rich community of scientists across the USC campus in Engineering, Cinematic Arts, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles and the KSOM who recently have become active in research addressing characterization and interventions in ASD. The funds from the P30 are required to recruit these individuals, with the P30 supporting costs for technical salaries, faculty salaries and equipment.