COBRE Phase 2: Center for Neuroplasticity at the University of Puerto Rico

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The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) Medical Sciences Campus proposes to sustain and expand its COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity. The second phase of Center operation will significantly strengthen the research infrastructure of the institution and will impact biomedical investigation throughout the island. The specific aims of the COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity at the University of Puerto Rico are: 1) Foster development of junior investigators into competitive researchers working on projects with direct biomedical significance. Our Phase I intensive mentoring program will be further strengthened with the goal of continued development of a competitive research culture; 2) Maintain and augment the NeuroImaging and Electrophysiology Facility (NIEF) established under COBRE Phase I. This multi-site core facility provides state-of-the-art instrumentation, training, and expertise to the research community of Puerto Rico. The NIEF is centered at the Molecular Sciences Research Center (MSRC) a major UPR infrastructure investment that is strategically positioned to enhance collaborative efforts between the major UPR campuses. The MSRC also serves numerous institutions associated with partnering IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE); 3) Support programmatic activities (COBRE Seminar Series, Annual Puerto Rico Neuroscience Conference, COBRE Symposia, Workshops) that increase interdisciplinary collaborations at the basic research level. It is anticipated that these activities will significantly strengthen the entire biomedical research infrastructure and will stimulate collaborative investigation leading to translational research projects. The major strengths of this proposed COBRE Phase II initiative include: 1) the Program Director, who is both an accomplished researcher with extensive funding and advisory activities within the NIH and an experienced administrator with a history of successful initiation of research and training programs; 2) an experienced and effective Administrative Core; 3) a team of young, aggressive and highly committed early career scientists; 4) deployment of the new MSRC as a centralized hub for integrated and collaborative research; 5) the full commitment of the UPR Administration toward assuring the stated goals of the project. The COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity at the University of Puerto Rico is defining pathways and benchmarks for basic and translational research across the UPR system. Its second phase will ensure the sustained growth and evolution of a program that will advance the trajectory of competitive biomedical research in Puerto Rico over the next decades.