UCLA Neuroscience Physician-Scientist Training Program

University Of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT Physician-scientists occupy a critical niche in the translation of basic science findings into new clinical treatments. Within the field of neurology and neurosurgery, physician-scientists have been at the forefront, among many examples, in developing new models of human disease, developing new clinical treatments for Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and stroke, identifying novel genetic signatures of brain tumors, glial progenitors and neural stem cells that may facilitate new therapies. However, the relative and absolute numbers of physician scientists have been declining over the past 25 years, despite the doubling of the NIH research budget during a portion of this epoch. This is in large part due to the prolonged nature of the training for a physician-scientist. The NIH has recognized this problem in the release of this RFA for Research Education Programs for Residents and Fellows in Neurology, Neurosurgery, Pediatric Neurology, Neuropathology, Neurogenetics, Neuroradiology and Emergency Medicine. The goal of the UCLA Neuroscience Physician-Scientist Training Program in this grant proposal is to train residents in either basic or clinical science research through direct investigative study, oral and written scientific presentation and intensive mentored career development. The structure of the training program incorporates several tiers of mentoring and focused time on oral and written presentations, with a culmination in the production of career development grant. This training program is supported by an excellent environment for neuroscience research and education on the UCLA Campus. The UCLA Neurology department has been a top ten NIH funded neurology department with a large clinical and basic research faculty with diverse and well-funded programs. Similarly, the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery has consistently been in the top 5 NIH-funded neurosurgery departments in the nation, and has a significant depth and breadth of clinical, translational, and basic research faculty with diverse and well-funded subspecialty programs. Both core residency programs are large with the flexibility to place selected residents in a research program, and both have a track record of training many academic neurologists and neurosurgeons. The proposed education program takes advantage of the substantial neuroscience community within the Neurology and Neurosurgery Departments and allied departments to have a large and scientifically diverse group of mentors with great depth of research and past training experience. By serving to integrate clinical and basic neuroscientists with residents in the context of their clinical training program, this grant maintains and develops a UCLA Neuroscience Physician-Scientist Training Program that will ensure the next generation of highly trained neurologist- and neurosurgeon-scientists will be available to make future advances to lessen the burden of neurological diseases.