Training in Hearing & Communication Neuroscience

描述（由申请人提供）：南加州大学神经科学研究生项目（DSC NGP）和House Ear研究所（HEI）共同提议为博士前、博士后和研究生医师-科学家学者建立一个独特的研究培训计划：南加州大学/HEI听力和交流神经科学培训计划。该项目汇集了广泛的科学家，以加强跨学科的交流，并提供独特的优势，提供研究培训机会，桥梁基础科学与临床听力和通信应用。该项目将进一步巩固南加州大学文理学院、凯克医学院、维特比工程学院和HEI的科学家之间的研究和培训互动。该项目将结合专注于听力和交流基本方面的优秀研究人员的优势，南加州大学神经科学研究生项目和HEI的资源，以及HEI在临床耳科方面的卓越专业知识。这一提议的基本原理是让博士前、博士后和医生兼科学家的学员参与到一个高度互动和多学科的培训体验中，从细胞生物学到认知神经科学和语言学，不受传统部门障碍的束缚，积极促进他们作为独立科学家的发展。我们每年推荐4名博士预科生和2名博士后，每名学者最多支持两年。其中一名博士后可以是HEI临床研究奖学金或USC耳鼻喉科住院医师项目招募的内科科学家。博士前受训者通常在研究生培训的第二年加入该计划，而参与该计划的博士后受训者的资历水平将有所不同。所有受训者都将接受听力和交流相关研究和实践技能的各个方面的培训，为他们在独立资助的研究、教育和工业领域的职业生涯做好准备。能够使受训者直接接触基础科学的前沿研究以及正在进行的临床研究和应用是该计划的主要和独特优势。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of Southern California Neuroscience Graduate Program (DSC NGP) and the House Ear Institute (HEI) together propose to establish a unique research training program for predoctoral, postdoctoral, and postgraduate physician-scientist scholars: the USC/HEI Hearing and Communication Neuroscience Training Program. The program brings together a broad spectrum of scientists to enhance inter-disciplinary communication, and offers the unique advantage of providing research training opportunities that bridge basic science with clinical hearing and communications applications. The program will further solidify the research and training interactions between scientists in the College of Letters Arts & Sciences, the Keck School of Medicine, the Viterbi School of Engineering at USC, and HEI. The program will combine the strengths of an outstanding group of researchers focused on basic aspects of hearing and communication, the resources of the USC Graduate Program in Neuroscience and the HEI, and the expertise in clinical otologic excellence of the HEI. The rationale of this proposal is to engage predoctoral, postdoctoral, and physician-scientist trainees in a highly interactive and multidisciplinary training experience ranging from cell biology to cognitive neuroscience and linguistics that is unfettered by conventional departmental barriers, and actively facilitates their development as independent scientists. We propose four predoctoral and two postdoctoral scholars per year for a maximum of two years support for any one scholar. One of the postdoctoral scholars can be a physician-scientist recruited from the HEI Clinical Research Fellowship or the USC Otolaryngology Residency Program. Pre-doctoral trainees will typically join the program during the second year of their graduate training, whereas the level of seniority of post-doctoral trainees participating in the program will vary. All trainees will receive training in all aspects of hearing- and communication-related research and practical skills that will prepare them for careers in independently-funded research, education, and industry. The ability to expose trainees directly to both cutting-edge research in basic science as well as ongoing clinical research and applications is a major and unique strength of the program. RELEVANCE: This proposal focuses on research and training that are directly relevant to speech and language disorders and communication disabilities in humans. This training program will help prepare a cadre of scientists to address fundamental questions pertaining to hearing and vocal communication. These individuals will not only advance our understanding of biologic and behavioral bases of a broad spectrum of auditory-vocal communication disorders, but will also generate innovative diagnostic and therapeutic applications.