Center for Scientific Review National Institutes of Health Suite 1040 6701 Rockledge Drive MSC 7710 Bethesda, MD 20892-7710 To Whom it May Concern: Re: Stephen J. Kanes, M.D., Ph.D. Principal Investigator Application for a Mentored Clinical Science Career Title: Olfaction: a Novel Mouse Model for Schizophrenia Environmental and Institutional Commitment to Candidate Development Award (K08) a. Description of institutional Enviromnent The Psychiatry Department at the University of Pemasylvania has a particularly extensive research program that is currently ranked second among departments of psychiatry in the United States with respect to NIt-I research fmlding. It is internationally recognized as a leader in both basic and clinical research into the causes and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Petal has long been committed to mad has excelled at the specialized training of physician scientists. This fertile learning and teaching environment is an ideal setting for Dr. Kanes' proposed mentored clinical scientist development award (K08). Dr. Kanes plans to pursue his research within both the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior (CNB) and the Division of Neuropsychiatry. The CNB, directed by Dr. Wade Berrettini, brings together many experts in the basic study of psychiatric disorders. Among the faculty in this division are world leaders in human psychiatric genetics (Drs. Wade Berrettini, Douglas Levinson and Arlen Price), mouse genetics (Drs. Maja Bucan, Robert Nichols, Thomas Ferraro, and Steven Thomas) and basic neurobiology and neuroanatomy (Drs. Robert Lenox, Steven Arnold, Irwin Lucki, Gary Aston-Jones, and Jonathan Druhan). Within this division, Dr. Kanes will work closest with Dr. Maja Bucan, his co-mentor. Dr. Bucan's work has focused on using random mutagenesis to detect novel behavioral genes in mice. This phenotype driven approach combines the varied fields of behavioral neuroscience, neuropharmacology, and classical and molecular genetics to map, identify and clone genes in behavioral pathways related to psychiatric illness. Behavioral assays include tests for anxiety and exploratory activity, sensorimotor gating, locomotor activity and circadian activity. This work involves active collaborations both within Penn as well as outside institutions including the Jackson Laboratory. Dr. Kanes will directly benefit front both formal and informal interaction with the entire CNB faculty. 3 Blockley Hall 423 Guardian Drive Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021 215-662-2818 FAX: 215-662-6911 53 ========================================Section End===========================================
