Translational Research in Neurobiolgy of Disease Training Program

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal is for a training grant, "Translational Research in Neurobiology of Disease", at the University of Minnesota. Trainees of this program are 1) graduate students who are pursuing a Ph.D. degree through the Graduate Program in Neuroscience, 2) postdoctoral fellows, and 3) clinical fellows. The challenge is to train basic neuroscientists who will have an appreciation for clinically relevant problems, and to train clinicians who have an appreciation of the fundamental principals of tools of basic science so that they can work together and accelerate the pace of translational neuroscience. The proposed training program funds predoctoral students during their second year in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience after they have committed to the translational neuroscience track. Postdoctoral fellows and clinical fellows can be funded at any point in their training, but must be committed to training in translational neuroscience. The training program is built around a core of didactic course work that includes a course in Neurobiology of Disease, and a Neuroscience Laboratory summer course for all trainees. These courses are designed to produce a dialog and interactions among basic and clinical neuroscientists to facilitate translational research. A group of over 37 trainers are proposed that reflects the diversity of research techniques in basic and clinical neuroscience, but with a thematic focus on neural degeneration and repair. Research interests range from molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders to therapies involving stem cells and recombinant DNA. Each trainer directs a productive research program and has demonstrated commitment to teaching and training. Representing 11 departments throughout the university, the trainers are united by their participation in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience and translational neuroscience research. The trainees will be provided with a strong, broad foundation in basic and clinical neurosciences upon which to build their translational research careers.