The Molecular Biology of Neurosensory Systems

描述（由申请人提供）：神经感觉系统分子生物学中心的目标是建立一个研究神经感觉发展机制的富有成效的研究小组，这将为新的治疗方法提供基础。发展神经科学的进步对于发现有效的治疗方法至关重要，正如NEI的大胆目标“再生神经元和神经连接”以及NIDCD的听觉和平衡优先领域1“理解正常功能”所证明的那样。为了实现这一目标，三家研究机构一直在共同努力，通过资助和指导新教员，使他们能够发展独立的研究事业，并通过创建核心设施，提供最先进的技术支持，在这一领域建立卓越。在我们第一阶段资助的8名初级研究人员中，有7人获得了晋升，其中一些人获得了终身职位，现在他们自己也在担任导师。在第11阶段，我们的中心将扩展到发育神经科学和转化研究项目。新技术正在被添加到我们的核心，核心进行研究以增强其能力。随着研究复杂性的增加，中心建立了新的机制，允许我们的成员使用额外的核心设施。这导致了互动研究人员获得了超过2000万美元的新研究基金，并独立或共同发表文章。我们的核心设施的利用延伸到我们的中心之外，它们是研究分子遗传机制的许多专业研究人员的主要资源。在第三阶段，我们将进一步专注于核心设施，扩大和整合这些设施，以提供更全面的服务。经验丰富的项目协调员将协调核心的运作，使其更加高效和自我维持，从而减少每个核心的实际资金。我们将继续资助新的研究人员，并将提供一个加强的指导核心。我们的中心受益于一个非常有才能和敬业的外部咨询委员会，并且增加了一个内部指导委员会，将为指导计划和中心的整体管理提供更直接的建议。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of the Center for the Molecular Biology of Neurosensory Systems is to build a productive group of researchers investigating the mechanisms of neurosensory development which will provide the foundations for new treatments. Advances in developmental neuroscience are essential to the discovery of effective therapies, as evidenced by the NEI's Audacious Goal, to "Regenerate Neurons and Neural Connections", and NIDCD's Priority Area 1 for Hearing and Balance, "Understanding Normal Function". To accomplish this, three research institutions have been working together to establish excellence in this field by funding and mentoring new faculty members to enable them to develop independent research careers, and by creating core facilities offering state of the art technical support. Of our eight junior investigators funded in Phase I, seven have been promoted, some with tenure, and are now serving as mentors themselves. In Phase 11, our Center is expanding to encompass developmental neuroscience and translational research projects. New technologies are being added to our cores, and the cores conduct research to augment to their capabilities. The Center has instituted new mechanisms allowing our members to access additional core facilities as the complexity of research increases. This is resulting in interactive researchers who have obtained over $20,000,000 in new research funds and are publishing independently and together. Utilization of our core facilities extends beyond our Center, and they are major resources for researchers in many specialties who are studying molecular genetic mechanisms. In Phase III, we focus further on the core facilities, expanding and consolidating them to offer a more complete array of services. An experienced Program Coordinator will coordinate the operation of the cores, making them even more efficient and self-sustaining so that the actual funding per core can be decreased. We will continue to fund new researchers and will provide an enhanced mentoring core. Our Center has benefited from an exceptionally talented and engaged External Advisory Committee, and the addition of an internal Steering Committee will provide more immediate advice for the mentoring program and the overall administration of the Center.