This is a competing continuation application for a training program that had been in operation for 17 years at UCLA, the past five years under the leadership of a new Principal Investigator. Over the past five years, the program has developed a record of producing excellent graduates who have secured academic positions, as well as an improved record of recruitment of women and underrepresented minorities. In this renewal, the program is proposed to train seven postdoctoral (M.D., M.D./Ph.D., Ph.D., D.N.Sc., or D.O.) and two predoctoral fellows. The program has been designed to develop independent researchers in psychiatry, psychology, and related disciplines by providing: 1) state-of-the-art research training in the laboratory of experienced researchers in psychiatry, psychobiology, neurobiology, and related fields; and 2) formal didactics which complement the hands-on research experience, emphasizing skills in research methodology and critical thinking, as well as topics relevant to the individual project. Trainees spend approximately 90% of their time in research, while broadening and deepening their knowledge by participating in two core seminars and taking selected other classes. Each trainee's curriculum is individually designed to meet his or her needs. In this competing continuation, we have made several changes to further enhance the training program: 1) several preceptors with state-of-the-art research skills in neurobehavioral genetics and molecular biology have been added to the faculty; 2) preceptors without active funding or ongoing research have been removed from the faculty; 3) recruitment of underrepresented minority trainees has been enhanced further through a stronger linkage with a predominantly African-American medical school, as well as by enlisting other University resources; and 4) a predoctoral training component has been added which will be used to enhance diversity through recruitment of underrepresented ethnic minority candidates. The University is providing financial support for this predoctoral training program. These changes should lead to an enhanced training experience for a more diverse group of postdoctoral and predoctoral trainees. ? ?
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