The neurobiology of disease: a comprehensive graduate curriculum

University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is a proposal to develop a comprehensive Neurobiology of Disease curriculum, consisting of an overview course and a group of 12-16 new, half-semester Neurobiology of Disease course "Modules" offered over a three year cycle. Modules will provide graduate students with in-depth training in the pathobiology and clinical aspects of a wide range of neurological and psychiatric diseases/ disorders/ conditions. Some Modules will be organized around biological themes common across many nervous system disorders; others will be organized around specific diseases/ conditions. The curriculum for all Modules will include: clinical presentation of the disease/condition, including a patient presentation; pathobiology; disease mechanisms in common with other disorders; how basic science has translated into clinical trials in the given area; basics of clinical trial design and conduct; and ethical issues in patient-oriented research for the particular patient population. Course formats will include lectures by basic and clinical faculty, student presentations, reading assignments from the current literature, small group discussions. The Neurobiology of Disease overview course that exists currently (and has, at Penn, for more than 20 years) and will continue to be offered. All Modules will be developed and co-taught by both clinical and basic science faculty from multiple departments. Graduate students in any University program may enroll; most will come from one the eight areas of Biomedical Graduate Studies, or from the Departments of Psychology, Biology, Biomedical Engineering, or from the Schools of Veterinary Medicine and Nursing. Post doctoral research fellows, medical residents and medical students will be encouraged to enroll, audit and/or make individual use of the materials developed. There are more than 600 graduate students in relevant basic science program at Penn at any given time who likely would be interested in these courses. All materials developed for the overview course and Modules, including slides from course lectures and detailed lecture notes, will be tailored for web education and be made freely available on the web. The T32 training grant that confers eligibility is 5T32GM007517-26 Nusbaum, Michael, "Graduate Training in Systems and Integrative Biology." Penn also has two other neuroscience training grants that would have conferred eligibility. Relevance to public health: This project will develop and implement a new and comprehensive curriculum to teach neuroscience graduate students (i.e., PhD students) about various neurological diseases and injuries and psychiatric conditions. Students will learn how patients' lives are affected, and about the biological mechanisms that malfunction to cause the clinical problem. Students will discuss how treatments have been developed in the past, and how their research in a laboratory can help to lead to new treatment in the future. [unreadable] [unreadable]