SNRP Project at Meharry Medical College

描述(由申请人提供) 梅哈里医学院(MMC)神经科学研究的长远愿景是在从长椅到床边的大脑和行为研究方面取得卓越成就，协同利用机构资源和校外资金进行研究和培训，以实现这一重要目标。这一专门的神经科学研究计划(SNRP)竞争续展申请对于提供资源，与范德比尔特大学医学中心(VUMC)合作，继续改善MMC的研究和培训环境至关重要。为此，本提案描述了与大脑可塑性的总体主题相关的三个研究项目，广义上，这些项目在培养合作的背景下解决重要的生物学问题，这将促进研究和研究交流技能的发展，最终导致这三个初级MMC教员获得个人同行评审资金。T.Ansah博士建议的研究解决了5HT-2A/C受体在帕金森氏病患者大脑皮质运动控制中的可能作用，当时这种退行性疾病已经消融了相互的多巴胺能调节输入(VUMC合作者：Ariel Deutch博士)。范博士的研究探索了CMS中神经元(或支持组织)趋化因子调节的脱敏是否有助于阿尔茨海默病病理的发展，以及-如果是-干扰增强的趋化因子受体表达和/或激活是否将允许一个新的治疗干预轴(VUMC合作者：Ann Richmond)。米切尔·帕克斯博士将通过研究儿童期性虐待对成年性侵幸存者选择行为连接(称为执行功能)的影响，检查非裔美国人和高加索女性，并将临床和行为分析与使用fMRI获得的客观成像参数相关联来检验大脑发育的可塑性(MMC心理学家兼合作者：Fred Ernst；VUMC成像学家兼合作者：Malcolm Avison)。合作者之间和SNRP调查团队之间的频繁会议将得到期刊俱乐部、研讨会系列、正在进行的工作会议和外部顾问的意见的补充，以提供关于假设检验、实验设计、数据替代解释的测试以及以口头和书面形式传达这些发现的重要建设性意见，以实现这些研究人员的个人成功，并加强MMC及其联盟合作伙伴VUMC的工作台到床边神经科学研究的组合

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant) The long-range vision for neuroscience research at Meharry Medical College (MMC) is to achieve excellence in brain and behavioral research from bench to bedside, synergistically engaging institutional resources and extramural funding for research and training to achieve this important goal. This Specialized Neuroscience Research Program (SNRP) competing continuation application is essential to provide resources to continue to enhance the research and training environment at MMC, in partnership with Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). To that end, this proposal describes three research programs related to the overall theme of brain plasticity, broadly defined, that address important biological problems in the context of nurturing collaborations that will facilitate the development of research and research communication skills, ultimately leading to individual peer-reviewed funding for these three junior MMC faculty. The proposed research of Dr T. Ansah addresses the possible role of the 5HT-2A/C receptor in effecting cortical control of movement in Parkinson's disease, when the reciprocal dopaminergic regulatory inputs have been ablated by this degenerative disease (VUMC collaborator: Dr. Ariel Deutch). The studies of Dr W. Fan explore whether desensitization of chemokine regulation of neurons (or supporting tissues) in the CMS contributes to the development of Alzheimer's disease pathology, and - if so- whether interference with enhanced chemokine receptor expression and/or activation will.permit a novel axis for therapeutic intervention (VUMC collaborator: Ann Richmond). Dr. Mitchell Parks will examine the plasticity of brain development by examining the impact of childhood sexual abuse on the choice-behavior wiring (dubbed executive function) in adult survivors of this abuse, examining both African American and Caucasian females, and correlating clinical and behavioral analyses with objective imaging parameters obtained using fMRI (MMC psychologist & Collaborator: Fred Ernst; VUMC imaging scientist & Collaborator: Malcolm Avison). Frequent meetings between the collaborators and among the SNRP investigative teams overall will be complemented with journal clubs, seminar series, works in progress sessions, and input from external advisors to provide significant constructive input concerning hypothesis testing, experimental design, testing of alternative interpretations of data, and communicating these findings in oral and written form to achieve the individual success of these investigators and to strengthen the portfolio of bench to bedside neuroscience research at MMC and with its Alliance partner, VUMC