Alabama Neuroscience Blueprint Core Center

神经科学是现代生物医学研究的重要领域之一。尽管宣布20世纪90年代为“大脑的十年”，并且在过去15年中取得了重大的科学进步，但在美国，对神经和精神疾病的有效治疗仍然是最大和增长最快的未满足医疗需求。为了满足这一需求，一种多学科和综合的神经科学研究方法是必不可少的。必须开发和利用忠实的人类神经和精神功能和功能障碍的小动物模型，以增强我们对神经系统的理解，并帮助开发新的疾病预防和治疗策略。阿拉巴马大学伯明翰分校（UAB）在建立和支持主题核心和中心方面有着悠久的历史，作为最近完成的UAB医学院战略规划过程的一部分，一个真正创新和跨学科的综合神经科学中心的发展已被确定为最高机构优先事项。在过去的几年里，UAB在许多部门都经历了大量有成就的神经科学研究者的涌入，并在未来五年内投入了大量资源来招募初级和高级神经科学研究者。在本申请中，我们建议建立一系列相互关联的核心设施，以促进正在进行的转基因啮齿动物和其他小动物的研究，并加强神经和精神功能和功能障碍的小动物模型的未来生成，表征和机制分析。除了行政核心（核心A）外，还将设立5个新的研究核心：核心B，分子工程；核心C，细胞和分子神经病理学；核心D，神经影像学；核心E，体内生理与表型；核心F，细胞和突触生理学。这些核心是专门为提供新的研究能力而设计的，并将补充现有的设施，为神经科学研究者提供无与伦比的能力，以开发和研究独特的神经生物学和神经病理学动物模型。除了UAB的大型神经科学社区外，阿拉巴马神经科学蓝图核心中心还将支持神经科学蓝图资助的研究人员在整个阿拉巴马州和邻近州的机构的研究活动。结合正在进行的在UAB建立一个综合神经科学中心的努力，该应用程序将大大提高深南方的神经科学研究能力。最后，该应用程序的一个主要目标是为初级研究人员和先前资助的蓝图研究所和中心神经科学家提供一种机制，通过这种机制，他们可以在NIH极其紧张的预算期间进行科学生产。

Neuroscience is one of the most important areas of modern biomedical research. Despite the declaration of the 1990's as the "Decade of the Brain" and significant scientific advances over the last 15 years, effective treatments for neurological and psychiatric diseases remains the largest and fastest growing unmet medical need in the United States. To meet this need, a multi-disciplinary and integrative approach to neuroscience research is essential. Faithful small animal models of human neurological and psychiatric function and dysfunction must be developed and capitalized upon to enhance our understanding of the nervous system and to aid the development of new disease prevention and treatment strategies. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has a long history of establishing and supporting thematic cores and centers and as part of a recently completed UAB School of Medicine Strategic Planning process, the development of a truly innovative and interdisciplinary Comprehensive Neuroscience Center has been identified as a top institutional priority. UAB has experienced a dramatic influx of accomplished neuroscience investigators in numerous departments over the last several years and has committed substantial resources to the recruitment of both junior and senior level neuroscience investigators over the next five years. In this application we propose to establish a series of inter-related core facilities that will facilitate ongoing studies of genetically modified rodents and other small animals and enhance future generation, characterization, and mechanistic analyses of small animal models of neurological and psychiatric function and dysfunction. In addition to an Administrative Core (Core A), five new research cores will be established: Core B, Molecular Engineering; Core C, Cellular and Molecular Neuropathology; Core D, Neuroimaging; Core E, In Vivo Physiology & Phenotyping; and Core F, Cellular and Synaptic Physiology. These cores are specifically designed to provide new research capabilities and will complement existing facilities to provide neuroscience investigators unparalleled ability to develop and study unique animal models of neurobiology and neuropathology. In addition to the large neuroscience community at UAB, the Alabama Neuroscience Blueprint Core Center will support the research activities of Neuroscience Blueprint funded investigators throughout the State of Alabama and at institutions in neighboring states. Combined with ongoing efforts to establish a Comprehensive Neuroscience Center at UAB, this application will dramatically enhance neuroscience research capabilities in the Deep South. Finally, a major goal of this application is to provide junior investigators and previously funded Blueprint Institute and Center neuroscientists a mechanism by which they can be scientifically productive during an exceedingly tight NIH budget period.