Building Research Achievement in Neuroscience (BRAiN): Student Training through Institutional Partnerships will bridge the Neuroscience research participation gap by preparing diverse undergraduates in the Rocky Mountain and Southwest Region for successful entry to Neuroscience Ph.D. programs. BRAiN unites preexisting formal research and education programs at diverse institutions: the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Colorado Denver in the Anschutz Medical Campus (NSP at UCD-AMC), home to a T32 Neuroscience Training Grant;the RISE to Excellence biomedical research education program at New Mexico State University (NMSU), a Hispanic serving minority institution;and the undergraduate Brain and Behavior program of the Department of Psychology at the University of Colorado Denver downtown campus (UCD-DT). BRAiN aspires to expand through developmental partnerships with Colorado State University- Pueblo and other colleges in the region. Broad participation in the Ph.D. Neuroscience/Behavior pipeline will be enabled through pursuit of three specific aims: (1) Recruitment of 67 BRAiN Scholars from diverse demographic groups that are nationally underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral neuroscience research;(2) Development of the Neuroscience/Behavior research expertise and professional skills of BRAiN Scholars;(3) Retention of BRAiN Scholars in Neuroscience/Behavior research through enrolment in postgraduate programs. BRAiN will provide intensive training that combines mentored independent research with student development of a rich knowledge base in Neuroscience core concepts. Curriculum integration will be achieved through a common Neuroscience Seminar Series and a Neuroscience Core Course. Emphasis will be placed on enhancement of mentorship skills through activities such as the Neuroscience Mentor Academy where faculty will meet to discuss student training, program evaluation, and curriculum reform. Taken together, proposed activities will provide an integrated research and professional development experience across multiple sites that leverages 21st century resources for scientific investigation and is responsive to practical aspects of contemporary student life.

Public Health Relevance

Building Research Achievement in Neuroscience (BRAiN): Student Training through Institutional Partnerships will fulfill the goal of RFA-MH-10-070 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-10-070.html) to encourage and prepare undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds to enter Ph.D. degree programs in the Neurosciences. This is an important goal because as stated in the RFA, demographic profiles from the NSF and reports from the National Academies reveal the national need for developing a well-trained workforce in biomedical and behavioral sciences and the continuing importance of developing a strong, vital scientific workforce whose diversity reflects that of our nation.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Education Projects (R25)
Project #
5R25NS080685-04
Application #
8545243
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZMH1-ERB-S (06))
Program Officer
Jones, Michelle
Project Start
2010-09-30
Project End
2015-08-31
Budget Start
2013-09-01
Budget End
2014-08-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$482,318
Indirect Cost
$35,727
Name
University of Colorado Denver
Department
Biology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
041096314
City
Aurora
State
CO
Country
United States
Zip Code
80045
Fontenot, Jazmin; Loetz, Esteban C; Ishiki, Matthew et al. (2018) Monoacylglycerol lipase inhibition alters social behavior in male and female rats after post-weaning social isolation. Behav Brain Res 341:146-153
Knight, V Bleu; Serrano, Elba E (2018) Expression analysis of RNA sequencing data from human neural and glial cell lines depends on technical replication and normalization methods. BMC Bioinformatics 19:412
Goodell, Dayton J; Ahern, Megan A; Baynard, Jessica et al. (2017) A novel escapable social interaction test reveals that social behavior and mPFC activation during an escapable social encounter are altered by post-weaning social isolation and are dependent on the aggressiveness of the stimulus rat. Behav Brain Res 317:1-15
Olesnicky, Eugenia C; Bono, Jeremy M; Bell, Laura et al. (2017) The RNA-binding protein caper is required for sensory neuron development in Drosophila melanogaster. Dev Dyn 246:610-624
Ahern, Megan; Goodell, Dayton J; Adams, Jessica et al. (2016) Brain regional differences in social encounter-induced Fos expression in male and female rats after post-weaning social isolation. Brain Res 1630:120-33
Schachtner, Logan T; Sola, Ismail E; Forand, Daniel et al. (2015) Drosophila Shep and C. elegans SUP-26 are RNA-binding proteins that play diverse roles in nervous system development. Dev Genes Evol 225:319-30
Grotewold, Susan K; Wall, Vanessa L; Goodell, Dayton J et al. (2014) Effects of cocaine combined with a social cue on conditioned place preference and nucleus accumbens monoamines after isolation rearing in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 231:3041-53