RESEARCH TRAINING IN THE NEUROSCIENCES

University Of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC

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Abstract

Support is requested for a broad, comprehensive and fundamental interdisciplinary predoctoral training program in the neurosciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The proposed training program is intended to consolidate 2 existing training grants from the NIMH and NINDS. The training will be administered by the interdepartmental Curriculum in Neurobiology which is in its fourth decade of existence. Training will involve 53 faculty members of the Curriculum representing research laboratories in 14 departments or programs. These research facilities are well-equipped and funded for a wide variety of anatomical, molecular, genetic, chemical, electrophysiological, behavioral, and biophysical investigations. During the past year the Curriculum has become closely integrated with the new UNC Neuroscience Center providing expanded opportunities for training through the development of new research laboratories and the recruitment of new faculty. The formal training program is already in place and constitutes a series of required and elective learning activities leading to the Ph.D. in Neurobiology. Activities include formal coursework in a recently reorganized curriculum, laboratory apprenticeship research with individual faculty mentors, focused dissertation research, research seminars, techniques seminar, clinical correlation experiences, journal clubs and discussion groups on topics of career development and research integrity. In addition, an annual Carolina Neuroscience Symposium will expose trainees to current thought on specialized topics presented by distinguished scientists from outside UNC. The proposed training program will take advantage of several areas of particular strength in neurobiology research at UNC including: (1) recovery and regeneration following spinal neuron injury, (2) molecular correlations of specific sensory neuronal function, (3) response of the nervous system to toxic challenge, (4) structure, function, and regulation of neurotransmitter receptors and transporters, (5) mechanisms of signal transduction and ion channel function, (6) cell and molecular biology of synaptic transmission and synaptogenesis, (7) neuroendocrine and neuroimmune interactions, (8) functional imaging of nervous system activity in vitro, in vivo, and in situ, and (9) distribution and regulation of neuropeptides active in various regions of the central nervous system. Support is requested for 10 predoctoral trainees. Qualified minority candidates will be aggressively recruited.