Neuroimaging Training Program

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract Productivity in basic and clinical neuroscience research is accelerating due to technological advances in the area of biomedical imaging. These new technologies have the potential to advance knowledge about the underlying etiology of brain-based disorders, mechanisms of treatment, and predictors of response. This competing renewal grant proposal describes a Neuroimaging Training Program (NTP) established in 2003 within the framework of the longstanding and highly successful doctoral degree program offered by the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology (HST). HST is an ideal home for the NTP. The sponsoring institutions, MIT and Harvard, and the affiliated teaching hospitals, have been and continue to be at the forefront of the development and application of biomedical imaging technologies. The faculty has consistently mentored leaders in the fields of biomedical imaging and clinical translational imaging neuroscience. The goal of the NTP is to increase the number of exceptional, interdisciplinary research scientists and engineers who are trained at the interface of biomedical imaging technology, neuroscience, and clinical application to fill the needs of academia, industry, and government. In the past four funding cycles, the NTP developed a comprehensive core curriculum and became established as an exceptional program for those wishing to pursue advanced training in neuroimaging. The unique strengths of the NTP include in-depth, direct clinical training, a comprehensive didactic curriculum specifically geared to this cadre of students, and vast faculty and technology resources. Our outstanding faculty exemplify the highest standards in teaching, advising, and mentoring. Each member of the faculty prioritizes their students' needs to explore, identify, and achieve their career aspirations. Not focused on any particular niche of neuropsychiatric disease (e.g., alcoholism or brain injury), or specific imaging modality or approach, the NTP also prides itself on its multimodal approach to training and demonstrated record of training students in a diverse array of technologies and their basic and clinical applications. Funding is requested to support 6 pre-doctoral students each year, providing 2 years of funding per student.