Epilepsy Research Training Program

描述(由申请人提供)：本提案旨在恢复对癫痫研究培训计划的支持。该计划的总体目标是招募和培训一批不同的杰出神经科学家，他们将获得(1)与人类癫痫的神经生物学、共病和治疗密切相关的研究方面的复杂和深入的知识；(2)成功开展竞争性当代研究所需的尖端方法和创新的实验方法；(3)了解和准备癫痫研究中多样化的职业选择。癫痫研究培训计划通过在14名资金充足和热情的导师的实验室进行个性化的、委员会监督的研究培训来实现这些目标。通过吸引UCI神经科学界和潜在学员参加的特定项目的课程、研讨会和研讨会，丰富了培训经验。到目前为止，我们在实现雄心勃勃的培训目标方面的成功来自于优秀的候选人库，以及与UCI癫痫研究中心和UCI临床癫痫项目的协同作用，这两个项目相互作用，提供多方面的培训体验。与这些资产相辅相成的是开放和互动的研究氛围以及项目教职员工之间的丰富合作。我们将癫痫作为大脑可塑性的窗口，促进了对癫痫及其认知和情感共病的研究的基本和翻译方法。鉴于学术生涯的轨迹，随着癫痫研究培训计划进入第9个年头，我们培训方法的成功的有形衡量标准变得明显起来。在11名项目校友中，有9名(82%)在学术界，全部是助理教授或同等职位，5名在终身教职轨道上，包括一名来自代表性不足的少数群体的女性。2/11不在学术界作为执行主编、自然出版物和大学水平的教育者参与了神经科学。大多数过去的受训人员都参与了癫痫的研究，一些过去和现在的受训人员已经获得了他们自己的NRSA或同等资质。该项目是美国仅有的两个专注于癫痫的T32项目之一，我们未来几年的目标是利用我们的成功，并从学员和教职员工的投入中学习，以进一步提升培训体验：(1)从我们2名博士后前实习生(其中一人是少数)中，我们了解到博士后后学员互动对双方的好处，并要求我们每年4名实习生中的1人是高级博士后学生；(2)我们的目标是增加MD招聘(目前为10%)，以及不同背景的个人的招聘(12.5%；高于UCI毕业生池)。(3)我们的目标是通过与新的UCI CTSA的综合努力，加强职业准备和授予写作技能。因此，癫痫培训计划将建立在其将包括少数族裔和女性在内的有才华的神经科学家推向可持续的学术生涯的记录的基础上，从而增强未来神经科学研究的劳动力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal aims to renew support for a Training Program in Epilepsy Research. The overall goal of the program is recruitment and training of a diverse group of outstanding neuroscientists who will gain (1) sophisticated and in depth knowledge of research germane to the neurobiology, co-morbidities and cure of human epilepsy; (2) cutting edge methods and innovative experimental approaches required for successful competitive contemporary research; (3) understanding and preparation for a diverse repertoire of career choices in epilepsy research. The Training Program in Epilepsy Research accomplishes these goals via individualized, committee-supervised research training in the labs of 14 well-funded and enthusiastic preceptors. The training experience is enriched by program-specific courses, seminars and symposia that draw in the UCI Neuroscience community and potential trainees. Our success to date in achieving our ambitious training goals derives from an outstanding pool of candidates, and from synergy with the UCI Epilepsy Research Center and the UCI Clinical Epilepsy Program, which interact to provide a multifaceted training experience. These assets are complemented by an open and interactive research atmosphere and abundant collaborations among program faculty. Our approach to Epilepsy as Window to Brain Plasticity promotes both basic and translational approaches to research on epilepsy and its cognitive and emotional co-morbidities. Given the trajectories of academic careers, tangible measures of success of our training approach are becoming evident as the Training Program in Epilepsy Research is in its 9th year. Nine of eleven (82%) program alumni are in academia, all assistant professors or equivalent and 5 in tenure track, including a woman from an underrepresented minority group. The 2/11 not in Academia is involved in neuroscience as managing editor, Nature publications and college level educator. The large majority of past trainees are involved in epilepsy research, and several past and present-cycle trainees have received their own NRSA or equivalent. Our goal for the coming years of the Program-one of only two Epilepsy-focused T32s in the U.S.- are to capitalize on our success and learn from trainee and faculty input to further enhance the training experience: (1) From our 2 pre-doctoral trainees (one a minority), we learnt the beneficial effects of pre-postdoc trainee interactions to both, and request that one of our 4 yearly trainees be a senior predoctoral student; (2) We aim to increase MD recruitment (currently 10%), and that of individuals from diverse backgrounds (12.5.%; higher than in the UCI graduate pool). (3) We aim to intensify career preparation and grant writing skills via integrative efforts with the new UCI CTSA. Thus, the Training Program in Epilepsy will build on its record of launching talented neuroscientists, including minority and women into sustainable academic careers, thus enhancing the future workforce in neuroscience research.