Training in the Neurobiology of Aging and Alzheimer's Disease

摘要 随着美国的老龄化，我们面临着解决不断增加的数字的需要 我们社会中患有与年龄相关的神经系统疾病和疾病的个人。 为了解决这个问题，我们需要多学科的方法来促进发现 这些疾病的机制、治疗和预防。以积极、综合的研究为基础 培养博士前学生是重新提供所需研究人员的关键 以可持续的方式解决这些生物医学保健问题。在此，我们建议 继续在北德克萨斯健康科学大学成功攻读博士前课程 中心(UNTHSC)，专注于衰老的神经生物学。在这个资金周期中，我们 支持了33名研究员，其中22人完成了培训和博士学位。受训人员是 非常有成效，到目前为止发表了46篇同行评议论文；我们还培训了7篇(共33篇= 21.2%)少数民族学生。重要的是，我们将留校率/毕业率从 在最近一个供资周期中，将之前的5年供资期提高到100%。拟议中的培训 该计划将加强已经很强大和成功的神经生物学培训计划 衰老。建议继续我们的博士前培训计划，因为我们的研究所 通过增加教员和继续资助项目，健康老龄化已经成熟 项目赠款，例如由国际和平协会领导的Meharvan Singh博士。这样的增长促进了更多 脑部疾病的病因、治疗和预防的基础、翻译和临床研究 在UNTHSC的老龄化和阿尔茨海默氏症。总的来说，这些新举措创造了一个 为博士生培养衰老神经生物学创造了良好的环境。 下一期资金培训方案的独特和创新特点包括：(1) 几个体验式学习机会，包括老年医学技能实验室和 翻译衰老和阿尔茨海默病研究计划；(2)我们继续强调 多元化培训，使超过20%的少数族裔参与了培训计划； 3)职业咨询和面试技能发展计划；4)神经科学技术 计划；5)我们的机构支持，将扩大那些将有机会 部分或全部培训计划；6)我们专注于发展卓越的研究和 在学员中的领导力；以及7)我们的导师计划，培训初级 在资深教员的指导下指导实习生。总而言之，这些属性 我们的衰老神经生物学培训计划产生了一个优秀的培训计划 我们希望继续这样做。

Summary With the “graying of America” we are faced with the need to address the ever increasing number of individuals in our society who have age-associated nervous system diseases and conditions. To address this problem, we need multidisciplinary approaches to facilitate the discovery of the mechanisms, treatments and prevention of these diseases. Active, integrated research-based training of pre-doctoral students is a key to re-supplying the research personnel needed to address these biomedical health care issues in a sustainable manner. Herein we propose to continue a successful pre-doctoral program at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) that focuses on the neurobiology of aging. During this funding cycle we supported 33 fellows, of whom 22 completed their training and their Ph.D. The trainees were very productive and published 46 peer-reviewed papers to date; we also trained 7 (of 33 = 21.2%) minority students. Importantly, we increased our retention/graduation rate from 84.6% in the prior 5-year funding period to 100% in the most recent funding cycle. The proposed training program will enhance an already strong and successful training program in the neurobiology of aging. The continuation of our predoctoral training program is proposed, as our Institute for Healthy Aging has matured through the addition of faculty and continued funding of program project grants, such as that led by the PI, Dr. Meharvan Singh. Such growth has facilitated more basic, translational and clinical research into the causes, treatment and prevention of brain aging and Alzheimer's Disease at the UNTHSC. Collectively, these new initiatives create a stimulating environment for the training of predoctoral students in the neurobiology of aging. Unique and innovative features of the training program for the next period of funding include: (1) Several experiential learning opportunities to include the Geriatrics Skills Lab and the Translational Aging & Alzheimer's Disease Research Program; (2) our continued emphasis on diversity training, that resulted in greater than 20% minority participation in the training program; 3) Career counseling and interview skill development program, 4) techniques in neuroscience program; 5) our institutional support which will expand those students who will have access to some or all of this training program; 6) our focus on the development of research excellence and leadership among our trainees; and 7) our Mentoring-the-Mentor Program which trains junior faculty in mentoring trainees under the guidance of a senior faculty. Collectively, these attributes of our Neurobiology of Aging Training Program has produced an outstanding program of training that we wish to continue.