This is an application to support a new Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience at The Rockefeller University. The Interdisciplinary Training Program in Neuroscience would be a specialized unit of the Ph.D. program at Rockefeller, and is specifically designed for neuroscience training. The training program would include required neuroscience coursework, including a readings course exclusively for trainees, required statistical training, and research opportunities in different areas of neuroscience including molecular and cellular, behavioral, systems, and clinical neuroscience. The 26 faculty trainers are accomplished neuroscientists, including 2 Nobel laureates and 10 members of the US National Academy of Sciences, with a shared interest and experience in graduate education. The interdisciplinary nature of the program would encourage trainees to perform collaborative work in various areas with different faculty. We propose to support 6 predoctoral trainees during the first two years of graduate study. The applicant pool is outstanding, including a large number of students with accomplished undergraduate records, extensive research experience and a strong interest in neuroscience. Trainees would be mentored by the Program Director;a Program Advisory Committee of selected faculty for general curriculum and research advice;and a Faculty Advisory Committee, specifically designed for each trainee to provide detailed experimental guidance. Finally, the University provides extensive support for the graduate program in general, which would benefit the neuroscience training program. The confluence of these attributes defines a specific training program that would equip trainees with the educational background, analytical abilities, and experimental expertise to forge future advances in neuroscience.
This training grant supports research and education that is directly relevant to public health, including clinically relevant coursework and research opportunities in areas such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, stress, addiction and paraneoplastic disorders.
