Training in the Neurobiology of Aging

描述(申请人提供)：随着美国的老龄化，我们面临着解决社会中越来越多的人患有与年龄相关的神经系统疾病和疾病的需要。据估计，到2050年，美国将有多达1600万阿尔茨海默氏症患者，还有更多的人患有与神经系统相关的疾病，这些疾病是由于我们人口的老龄化造成的。为了解决这一问题，我们需要多学科的方法，以促进发现这些疾病的机制、治疗和预防。对博士前学生进行积极的、综合的研究培训是重新提供解决这些生物医学保健问题所需的研究人员的关键。在这里，我们建议继续一个成功的博士前项目，专注于衰老的神经生物学。目前的申请是对北德克萨斯大学健康科学中心(UNTHSC)非常成功的博士后和博士后培训计划的竞争性更新。在这个资助周期中，我们有22名正式研究员，其中10名完成了他们的培训和博士学位，另外还有17名副研究员，在不到5年的时间里总共有39名学员。我们的学员发表了91篇同行评议的论文；我们培训了7名少数民族学生(22名=32%)为正式研究员；6名(17名=35%)少数族裔学生参加了我们的培训计划。拟议的培训计划将加强在衰老神经生物学方面已经很强大和成功的培训计划。我们建议继续我们的博士前培训计划，因为我们的老龄化和阿尔茨海默病研究所(IAADR)由培训项目主任创建，通过增加教员和资助三个项目项目拨款而成熟，并在UNTHSC启动了关于脑老化和阿尔茨海默病的原因、治疗和预防的临床研究。总体而言，我们的新培训计划为博士前学员在衰老神经生物学方面的培训创造了一个刺激的环境。培训计划的特点是(1)我们的副研究员计划，它增加了完全参与培训计划的受训人员的数量；(2)我们对多元化培训的重视，导致33%的少数族裔参与了培训计划；(3)我们的高机构支持，建议在未来5年为培训计划提供约276,800美元的机构承诺；(4)我们的重点是在我们的受训人员中发展研究卓越和领导力；以及(5)我们的PReceper-in培训计划，它在博士前培训中培训我们更初级的讲师。总而言之，我们的衰老神经生物学培训计划的这些特点已经产生了一个出色的培训计划，我们希望继续下去。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): With the "graying of America" we are faced with the need to address the ever increasing number of individuals in our society who have age-associated nervous system diseases and conditions. It is estimated that by the year 2050, there will be up to 16 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease and an even larger number with additional nervous system-related diseases that are attributed to the aging of our population. To address this problem, we need multidisciplinary approaches to facilitate the discovery of the mechanisms, treatments and prevention of these diseases. Active, integrated research-based training of pre-doctoral students is a key to re- supplying the research personnel needed to address these biomedical health care issues. Herein we propose to continue a successful predoctoral program that focuses on the neurobiology of aging. The present application is a competing renewal of a very successful program of pre- and post-doctoral training at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC). This funding cycle we had 22 full fellows, of whom 10 completed their training and their Ph.D. and an additional 17 associate fellows for a total of 39 trainees in less than 5 years. Our trainees published 91 peer-reviewed papers; we trained 7 (of 22 = 32%) minority students as full fellows; 6 (of 17 = 35%), for a total of 33% minority participation in our training program. The proposed training program will enhance an already strong and successful training program in the neurobiology of aging. The continuation of our predoctoral training program is proposed, as our Institute for Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Research (IAADR), founded by the Training Program Director, has matured through the addition of faculty and the funding of three program project grants, and has initiated clinical research into the causes, treatment and prevention of brain aging and Alzheimer's Disease at the UNTHSC. Collectively, our new training initiatives create a stimulating environment for the training of predoctoral trainees in the neurobiology of aging. Unique features of the training program are (1) our Associate Fellows program, which increases the number of trainees participating fully in the training program; (2) our emphasis on diversity training, that resulted in a 33% minority participation in the training program; (3) our high institutional support which is proposed to amount in an institutional commitment to the training program of approximately $276,800 over the next 5 years; (4) our focus on the development of research excellence and leadership among our trainees; and (5) our Preceptor-in-Training Program, which trains our more junior preceptors in pre-doctoral training. Collectively, these attributes of our Neurobiology of Aging Training Program have produced an outstanding program of training that we wish to continue.