Schizophrenia: A Neuropsychiatric Perspective

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Schizophrenia: A Neuropsychiatric Perspective is a training grant aiming to provide basic and clinical neuroscientists with the skills and experiences necessary to launch an interdisciplinary research career that can contribute to understanding the neurobiology of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. This competing renewal application capitalizes on the depth of resources, facilities and faculty dedicated to research and training in translational neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania. The program forges cross-fertilization of clinical neuroscientists, with expertise in assessment and treatment of psychosis spectrum disorders, and basic neuroscientists, with new methodologies to probe neural mechanisms pertinent to psychosis. Training will be provided in four Units, reflecting concentrations of investigators and laboratories and state of the field: (1) Cognition and Affective Neuroscience~ (2) Neurogenetics~ (3) Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience~ (4) Clinical and Developmental Neuroscience. While each trainee will work primarily within a Unit, with a mentor supervising the research training, there will be common courses and workshops across Units. The didactic experiences will be coordinated by faculty to assure training in biostatistics and methodology, ethical conduct of research and a solid grounding in neuroscience. The 5-year post-doctoral program will have five trainees with M.D., M.D./Ph.D. and Ph.D. degrees, each trained for a period of 2-years. The program capitalizes on extensive experience of the participating laboratories, which have joint Center grants, RO1s, training programs, seminars, and enjoy a productive collaboration in all academic activities. The training program dovetails with the academic agenda of the Schizophrenia Research Center, where faculty interact by working collaboratively in research teams in ways that can serve as role models for trainees. We hope that our efforts will continue to help advance the careers of high quality clinical and basic neuroscientists who can move the field ahead collaboratively. Through active participation in research, combined with didactic course work, trainees learn to conduct research bridging clinical with basic neurosciences relevant to understanding the neurobiology of schizophrenia and other psychosis spectrum disorders. The Training Committee, which includes the scientific leaders of the Training Units, assists the Program Director in coordinating recruitment and admissions, assuring appropriate matching of Fellows to mentors and research laboratories, and monitoring quality and progress of training. Research projects of trainees span the scope of the participating laboratories with a focus on neurobiology of psychosis. Notably, the proposed program is the only one at Penn emphasizing the training of clinical and basic neuroscientists in the study of complex behavior and psychosis. It contributes the "critical mass," creating a stimulating and exciting research environment for trainees and for us.