Brain, Immunology and Glia Training Program

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PROJECT SUMMARY The Brain Immunology ang Glia Training Program (BIGTP) at the University of Virginia (UVA) will build on existing strengths in neuroimmunology and glia research and the programming that has been in place since the establishment of the center from Brain Immmunolgy and Glia (BIG) in 2012. The BIGTP brings together 20 mentors from eight different departments with the goal of providing interdisciplinary training that sparks discoveries and prepares a generation of researchers that are uniquely equipped to tackle research questions that arise at the interface of neuroscience and immunology. Funds are requested to support two predoctoral trainees each year for a duration of two years, typically in years three and four of graduate training. The 20 mentors are well-funded by a total of nearly $11 million in annual direct costs. The average mentor has trained more than nine pre- and postdoctoral trainees in the past ten years. Assistant Professors are included as Junior Mentors that will require senior BIGTP faculty to serve as co-mentors for trainees. Formal mentor training is required of all BIGTP mentors. Trainees will partake in the dynamic BIG research in progress seminars that are held weekly. Trainees will also have access to leaders in the field through the BIG Neuro seminar series. Annual retreats will focus on trainee development, review of the program, and will allow trainees to interact with members of the BIGTP External Advisory Board that are invited as keynote speakers. The quantitative literacy of trainees will be developed and supported through the Quantitative Literacy Series designed specifically for trainees that addresses topics in experimental design, reproducibility, power analysis, statistical analyses, transparency in reporting, etc. Importantly, Dr. Marieke Jones directs required courses in programming and statistical analyses and will be directly supported by and involved in BIGTP events, providing continuity in instruction and support for trainees for the duration of their predoctoral studies. The BIGTP will be evaluated by current and past trainees, program mentors, and members of a highly-qualified External Advisory Board. Predoctoral trainees trained in BIGTP mentor laboratories have completed their degrees in approximately 5.25 years and contributed to an average of 4.9 publications and 1.7 first-author publications in journals that include: Nature, Cell, Nature Neuroscience, Science Translational Medicine, Immunity, Neuron, PNAS, Science Advances, and Nature Communications. Current and past trainees have been supported by individual fellowships sponsored by NIH, NSF, and UVA. Importantly, 97% of trainees remain in science-related fields and 74% go on to complete further training. The BIGTP leadership and mentors understand the importance of diversity, which is essential for the strength and growth of the proposed Training Program. The BIGTP’s commitment to diversity is demonstrated by the inclusivity within the Program’s administration and programmatic events. The implementation of an NIH- sponsored T32 training program will allow existing strengths and programming at UVA to strengthen and expand to provide unparalleled training for predoctoral trainees in a burgeoning research area.