The Molecular Biology of Neurosensory Systems

描述(申请人提供)：神经感觉系统分子生物学中心的目标是建立一个富有成效的研究小组，研究神经感觉发育的机制，这将为新的治疗方法提供基础。发展神经科学的进步对于发现有效的治疗方法至关重要，NEI大胆的目标是“再生神经元和神经连接”，NIDCD的听力和平衡优先领域1“了解正常功能”就是明证。为了实现这一目标，三家研究机构一直在共同努力，通过资助和指导新教师，使他们能够发展独立的研究事业，并通过创建提供最先进技术支持的核心设施，在该领域建立卓越的人才。在我们第一阶段资助的8名初级调查人员中，有7人已经晋升，其中一些人获得了终身教职，现在他们自己担任导师。在第11阶段，我们的中心正在扩大到包括发展神经科学和翻译研究项目。我们的核心正在增加新的技术，这些核心进行研究以增强其能力。该中心建立了新的机制，允许我们的成员随着研究复杂性的增加而使用更多的核心设施。这导致互动研究人员获得了超过2000万美元的新研究资金，并独立和共同发表论文。我们核心设施的利用超出了我们中心的范围，它们是许多专业研究分子遗传机制的研究人员的主要资源。在第三阶段，我们将进一步专注于核心设施，对其进行扩展和整合，以提供更全面的服务。一名经验丰富的方案协调员将协调核心的运作，使其更有效率和自我维持，从而减少每个核心的实际供资。我们将继续资助新的研究人员，并将提供一个增强的指导核心。我们的中心得益于一个才华横溢、积极参与的外部咨询委员会，而内部指导委员会的增加将为指导计划和中心的整体管理提供更直接的建议。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of the Center for the Molecular Biology of Neurosensory Systems is to build a productive group of researchers investigating the mechanisms of neurosensory development which will provide the foundations for new treatments. Advances in developmental neuroscience are essential to the discovery of effective therapies, as evidenced by the NEI's Audacious Goal, to "Regenerate Neurons and Neural Connections", and NIDCD's Priority Area 1 for Hearing and Balance, "Understanding Normal Function". To accomplish this, three research institutions have been working together to establish excellence in this field by funding and mentoring new faculty members to enable them to develop independent research careers, and by creating core facilities offering state of the art technical support. Of our eight junior investigators funded in Phase I, seven have been promoted, some with tenure, and are now serving as mentors themselves. In Phase 11, our Center is expanding to encompass developmental neuroscience and translational research projects. New technologies are being added to our cores, and the cores conduct research to augment to their capabilities. The Center has instituted new mechanisms allowing our members to access additional core facilities as the complexity of research increases. This is resulting in interactive researchers who have obtained over $20,000,000 in new research funds and are publishing independently and together. Utilization of our core facilities extends beyond our Center, and they are major resources for researchers in many specialties who are studying molecular genetic mechanisms. In Phase III, we focus further on the core facilities, expanding and consolidating them to offer a more complete array of services. An experienced Program Coordinator will coordinate the operation of the cores, making them even more efficient and self-sustaining so that the actual funding per core can be decreased. We will continue to fund new researchers and will provide an enhanced mentoring core. Our Center has benefited from an exceptionally talented and engaged External Advisory Committee, and the addition of an internal Steering Committee will provide more immediate advice for the mentoring program and the overall administration of the Center.