We propose to continue a broad, interdisciplinary Vision Training Program now in its 27th year. The program includes 23 preceptors in nine departments and spans many areas: signal transduction (biophysics and biochemistry); retina (circuitry, computation, neurochemistry, cell biology, developmental genetics); eye (cataract, myopia, tears); central pathways (physiology and behavior); higher processes (psychophysics, cognitive neuroscience, computation), and """"""""neuromorphic"""""""" devices (silicon retina). Predoctoral students are selected for excellence via a centralized office of Biomedical Graduate Studies and join a particular """"""""graduate group"""""""", mainly Neuroscience or Bioengineering. On Penn's centralized campus, graduate education is organized across Departments and Schools in order to foster multi-disciplinary training and collaborative research. Students are trained broadly during the first two years and are attracted specifically to vision research via: (1) formal lectures and laboratory training; (2) weekly """"""""lunch seminars"""""""" with research talks by intramural and external speakers; (3) research rotations in three different laboratories (each followed by a 15 minute public talk); (4) annual research """"""""retreat"""""""" with student talks and visiting scholar. At this level all students are exposed to key modem methods, such as patch clamp, molecular biology, computation, and FMRI. Neuroscience and Bioengineering admit about 15 students annually, and of these, about 10 rotate through vision labs. Currently, about 23 have settled in a vision lab for the dissertation and are thus eligible for support by the Vision Training Program. In the past 10 years the Vision Training Program has graduated 45 PhD/MD-PhDs. Most have continued training at excellent labs, and many have subsequently assumed positions at excellent research institutions. Based on this growth in both faculty and students, we request support for 6 predoctoral students per year. We also request funds for one postdoctoral student per year to help promising candidates shift into vision research from other areas while seeking independent support for further career development.
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