Training in Functional Neuroimaging

描述(申请人提供)：十年前，功能神经成像领域开始了一个前所未有的发展时期，这是由于功能磁共振成像(FMRI)与先前开发的成像技术和专业知识相结合而发展起来的。从那时起，参与神经成像的机构数量迅速增长，随着基础科学和最近临床实践中日益复杂的应用程序的发展，这种扩张今天仍在继续。尽管出现了如此惊人的增长，但在功能成像的技术、应用和神经科学方面训练有素的研究人员一直很短缺。拟议的神经功能成像培训计划旨在通过提供多学科强化教学计划来解决这一不足，重点是神经成像的理论和实践、成像信号和神经功能的生理学基础、神经成像研究的设计和实施、随后的神经成像数据的分析、显示和解释，以及这些技术在基础和临床神经科学的基本问题上的应用。该项目的申请者预计将对科学感兴趣，从强烈的MR生物物理学到纯粹的神经科学。培训方案还旨在满足两个不同职业发展水平的受训人员的需要。对于博士前实习生，该项目试图灌输对神经成像的基本原理和实践的广泛理解，并教授这些原理在成像相关研究中的应用。相比之下，针对博士后实习生的项目假设学生已经在受训人员希望与神经成像相结合的领域获得了研究专业知识。在后一种情况下，目标是为受训者提供必要的神经成像工具和专业知识，以启动包含强大神经成像组件的独特的长期研究计划。对学生的培训将由一个由教师导师组成的独特的多学科团队承担，这些导师代表着从磁共振生物物理学到认知神经科学和临床实践的各种研究兴趣。通过教学课程工作、研究项目、研讨会、国内和国际演示以及个人指导的综合课程，学生将为在神经成像领域的职业生涯和领导角色做好准备。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Ten years ago, the field of functional neuroimaging began a period of unprecedented growth spurred by the development of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in concert with previously developed imaging techniques and expertise. Since that time, the number of institutions involved in neuroimaging has grown apace and that expansion continues today as increasingly sophisticated applications develop in basic science and, more recently, in clinical practice. Despite this exceptional growth, there has been a shortage of researchers who are well trained in the technology, application and neuroscience of functional imaging. The proposed training program in functional neuroimaging is designed to address this shortage by offering a multidisciplinary program of intensive instruction with an emphasis on the theory and practice of neuroimaging, the physiological basis of imaging signals and neural function, the design and implementation of neuroimaging studies, the subsequent analysis, display and interpretation of neuroimaging data and the application of these techniques to fundamental problems of basic and clinical neuroscience. Applicants to the program are anticipated to have scientific interests ranging from strongly MR biophysics to purely neuroscience. The training program is also designed to meet the needs of trainees at two different levels of career development. For predoctoral trainees, the program seeks to instill a broad understanding of the fundamental principles and practice of neuroimaging and to teach the application of those principles to imaging-related research. In contrast, the program for post-doctoral trainees assumes that the student already has attained expertise in research within a field that the trainee wishes to combine with neuroimaging. The goal in the latter case, is to provide the trainee with the necessary neuroimaging tools and expertise to initiate a unique, long-term program of research incorporating a strong neuroimaging component. The training of students will be undertaken by a unique multidisciplinary team of faculty mentors representing research interests ranging from MR biophysics to cognitive neuroscience and clinical practice. Through an integrated curriculum of didactic course work, research projects, seminars, national and international presentations as well as personal mentoring students will emerge prepared for a career and leadership role in neuroimaging.