EXCEED THE SPACE PROVIDED. This is an application for renewal of an interdisciplinary Drug Abuse Research Training Program, entitled Training in Neurobehavior/Neuroimmune Addiction Research. This training program, which combined the strengths of two NIDA-funded programs at the University of Minnesota entitled Training in Drug Abuse and Neurobehavioral Pharmacology (T32 DA07097-20) and Training in Psychoneuroimmunology and Substance Abuse (T32 DA07239-10), has been in existence for the past 4 years. The proposed training program fulfills a well-recognized need of training biomedical scientists at the pre- and postdoctoral levels in an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the interactions of drugs of abuse with the nervous and immune systems and integrates the effects of these interactions with behavioral counterparts. To this end, training which begins at the predoctoral level and provides coherent exposure to the various disciplines that constitute this field, will make an especially important contribution to the development of this field. Training scientists in such an interdisciplinary field is only available at a few institutions. A talented group of neuroscientists, psychologists, pharmacologists, immunologists and microbiologists are assembled at the University of Minnesota and affiliated institutions to participate in the proposed interdisciplinary training program. The program combines the talents and skills of laboratory-based scientists with clinical faculty, allowing the program to attract outstanding predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows. We have in place a significant number of funded faculty working in pertinent areas of research with a commitment to training predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows. All the elements of training are in place: a formal curriculum for predoctoral study including formal courses in Neuro-lmmune Interactions and Neuropschopharmacology, a seminar program, and most importantly linkages with faculty across the relevant disciplines. This training program will foster development of scientists who have the knowledge and experience for research careers similar to trainees who have already completed training and now hold positions in academic and government institutions or industry. To fulfill our training mission, 12 predoctoral and 9 postdoctoral positions are requested. PERFORMANCE SITE ========================================Section End===========================================
Showing the most recent 10 out of 261 publications
