Interdisciplinary Visual Sciences (IVS) Training Program

描述（由申请人提供）：它明显来自“视觉研究；一项国家计划”，视觉研究涵盖了生物科学、认知科学和临床研究的每一个学科。NEI参与NIH路线图反映了视觉科学家认识到跨学科研究方法的重要性，以及将基础研究成果快速转化为临床护理的重要性。因此，下一代视觉科学家需要在强调前沿科学、跨学科合作、对视觉系统的理解以及接触临床眼科的环境中发展他们的科学技能。这个培训项目，虽然涉及科学学科的范围很广，但重点是在匹兹堡大学创造一个培训环境，有利于视觉科学家之间的互动和合作，并让博士生和博士后在跨学科的方法中了解视觉系统和眼部疾病。虽然这个T32应用程序的重点是培训基础科学家，但我们的受训者将经常与临床眼科医生互动，他们将在我们的教学视觉课程中担任导师和讲师，并通过课程作业、研讨会和数据俱乐部与医生科学家密切互动。我们的T32培训计划将吸引来自免疫学，分子病毒学和微生物学，神经科学，细胞生物学和分子生理学，人类遗传学和生物工程研究生培训计划的研究生。这些项目将提供结构和基本课程，而T32培训项目将提供视觉研究方面的专业培训。拟议中的项目还将为视觉研究领域的博士后培训提供一个结构，该结构将与该大学现有的重要支持结构相协调。我们将努力吸引最聪明的学生和博士后，目标是提供1)对眼睛的解剖学，生理学和疾病的基本了解；2)欣赏和利用眼睛独特的解剖和生理特征；3)了解现有眼部疾病动物模型的优势和局限性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): It clearly emerges from "Vision Research; A National Plan" that vision research embraces every discipline in the biological sciences as well as cognitive sciences and clinical research. Participation by the NEI in the NIH Roadmap reflects recognition by vision scientists of the importance of the interdisciplinary approach to research, and of rapid translation of findings in basic research to clinical care. Accordingly, the next generation of vision scientists will need to develop their scientific skills within an environment that stresses cutting edge science, interdisciplinary cooperation, an understanding of the visual system, and exposure to clinical ophthalmology. This training program, while broad in the scope of participating scientific disciplines, is focused on creating at the University of Pittsburgh a training environment that will favor interactions and collaborations among vision scientists, and involve predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows in interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the visual system and ocular diseases. Although this T32 application focuses on training of basic scientists, our trainees will have frequent interactions with clinical ophthalmologists who will serve as mentors, lecturers in our didactic vision course, and close interactions with physician-scientists through course work, seminars, and data clubs. Our T32 training program will draw graduate students from the Immunology, Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Molecular Physiology, Human Genetics, and Bioengineering graduate training programs. These programs will provide the structure and basic curriculum, whereas the T32 training program will provide specialized training in vision research. The proposed program will also provide a structure for training of postdoctoral fellows in vision research that will coordinate with the significant support structure already in place at the university. We will strive to attract the brightest students and postdocs with the goals of providing 1) a basic understanding of the anatomy, physiology, and diseases of the eye; 2) appreciation and utilization of the unique anatomical and physiological characteristics of the eye; and 3) awareness of the strengths and limitations of available animal models for ocular diseases.