Administrative Core

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Abstract/Summary: Administrative Core The Center for Pediatric Brain Health will be a NIGMS-supported COBRE at the Boys Town National Research Hospital (BTNRH) in Omaha, NE. The Center will focus on developmental neuroscience, neuroimaging, and brain health. The Administrative Core will manage and continuously evaluate the Center’s major programs and provide oversight of the fiscal and scientific components of the Center. The Core will be directed by Dr. Tony Wilson of BTNRH with the assistance of a Master’s-level scientific administrator. Upon launching the Center for Pediatric Brain Health, the Administrative Core will initiate a series of integrated programs to support the research project leaders (RPLs) and the local pediatric neuroscience community and to help build a sense of thematic cohesiveness across the BTNRH campus. Specifically, the Administrative Core will initiate mentoring and career development programs, a pilot projects program, multifaceted training initiatives, two distinct seminar series, community outreach, and research support and development initiatives. The mentoring and career development approach will include the formation of a Supervisory & Mentoring Committee comprised of 10 highly-experienced mentors, with each RPL being directly advised by two co-mentors from this committee. To help ensure the RPLs reach critical milestones, the Center will provide extensive resources and develop an evaluation system comprised of project forums and mini progress reports, which will be presented regularly to the Supervisory & Mentoring Committee to provide an ongoing assessment of each RPL’s progress. The Core will also implement a pilot projects program that will award $100,000 per year to support new projects related to pediatric brain health, with 50% of these funds being contributed by BTNRH. The Center’s training programs will include two annual neuroimaging workshops aimed at the approaches most commonly used by pediatric neuroscientists, as well as a postdoctoral neuroimaging training program and an extensive internship program for post-baccalaureate and undergraduate students, with the latter also receiving substantial financial support from BTNRH. The Administrative Core will also initiate a monthly seminar series focused on pediatric brain health, which will bring internationally-known developmental neuroscientists to BTNRH to present their findings and network with local scientists, and a bimonthly career development seminar series aimed at advancing the junior scientists associated with the Center. Additionally, the Core will support a community outreach program aimed at getting youth interested in science, with an emphasis on the brain. Finally, the Administrative Core will provide extensive research support to Center investigators, including a participant registry to enhance study recruitment, shared research infrastructure dedicated to study coordination and participant testing, and access to the Neural Quantification & Imaging Core. Through these thematic programs and a network of established mentors and scientists, the Administrative Core will instill a strong sense of cohesion among investigative teams and ensure the proposed COBRE has a major, long-term impact on pediatric brain health across the nation.