Center for Neuroplasticity at the University of Puerto Rico

描述（由申请人提供）：波多黎各大学（UPR）医学科学校区提议建立一个COBRE中心，这将大大加强该机构的研究基础设施，并将影响整个岛屿的生物医学研究。波多黎各大学COBRE神经可塑性中心的具体目标是：1)培养初级研究人员，使其成为从事具有直接生物医学意义的项目的有竞争力的研究人员。为了营造与主要研究密集型大学相媲美的“研究文化”，将实施强化辅导制度。2)提供一个神经成像和电生理设施（NIEF），为波多黎各的神经科学界提供最先进的仪器、培训和专业知识。NIEF将设在神经生物学研究所，但在COBRE在研究所建立完善后，将在新的生物分子科学大楼（BSB）中纳入超高端仪器；3)与波多黎各IDeA生物医学卓越研究网络（INBRE）实体合作；4)支持在基础研究层面加强跨学科合作的项目活动。提议的COBRE的主要优势包括：1)PI，他既是一位有成就的研究人员，在NIH内部拥有广泛的资金和咨询活动，也是一位经验丰富的管理人员，拥有成功启动研究和培训计划的历史；2)年轻、进取、敬业的科学家团队；3)神经生物学研究所目前的智力和科学成就水平增加了指导的可能性；3)合理规划未来，部署新的BSB作为COBRE神经可塑性中心未来整合和协作研究的集中枢纽；4)普遍定期审议行政部门对确保项目既定目标的全面承诺。该普遍定期审议中心应为今后几十年普遍定期审议系统的基础研究和转化研究确定途径和基准。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) Medical Sciences Campus proposes to establish a COBRE Center that will significantly strengthen the research infrastructure of the institution and that will impact biomedical investigation throughout the island. The specific aims of this COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity at the University of Puerto Rico are to: 1) Foster development of junior investigators into competitive researchers working on projects with direct biomedical significance. An intensive mentoring program will be implemented with the goal of creating a "culture of research" comparable to that of major research-intensive universities. 2) Provide a Neuroimaging and Electrophysiology Facility (NIEF) that will offer state-of-the-art instrumentation, training, and expertise to the neuroscienc community of Puerto Rico. The NIEF will be located in the Institute of Neurobiology, but will incorporate ultra-high-end instrumentation in the new Biomolecular Sciences Building (BSB) after the COBRE has become well-established at the Institute; 3) Partner with IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) entities in Puerto Rico; 4) Support programmatic activities that increase interdisciplinary collaborations at the basic research level. The major strengths of the proposed COBRE include: 1) the PI, who is both an accomplished researcher with extensive funding and advisory activities within the NIH, and an experienced administrator with a history of successful initiation of research and training programs; 2) the team of young, aggressive and highly committed scientists; 3) enhanced mentorship possibilities provided by the current level of intellectual and scientific accomplishment present at the Institute of Neurobiology; 3) rational planning for the future by deployment of the new BSB as a centralized hub for integrated and collaborative research in the future of the COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity; 4) the full commitment of the UPR Administration toward assuring the stated goals of the project. This UPR COBRE Center should define pathways and benchmarks for basic and translational research across the UPR system for the next decades.