This is a renewal application for a long-standing training program that provides predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees with a thorough grounding in the basic neurosciences, with special expertise in developmental neurobiology, neurophysiological biophysics, including ion channels and receptors, molecular neuroscience, integrative neuroscience, transduction mechanisms, and structure-function neurobiology, ranging from molecular interaction to the dynamics of cellular networks. The experimental approaches involve the use of advanced molecular, physical, chemical, electrical, optical, mathematical, and computational techniques to study fundamental questions in neuroscience. The interdisciplinary nature of the training provides the graduates with the foundation needed to tackle important questions in neuroscience. Predoctoral trainees take an interdisciplinary group of graduate courses tailored to their needs and interests, and do laboratory rotations. They then choose a mentor(s), under whose direction they design and execute an original research project, culminating within about 4-5 years in a Ph.D. degree. Postdoctoral trainees are offered a wide choice of research projects from which they develop their own independent research which lasts two to three years. All trainees receive a great deal of individual attention from a large and closely interacting group of program and allied neuroscience faculty. In addition to in-depth training in specific areas, the trainees are exposed to a broad variety of research activities through presentations and attendance at seminars and journal clubs, and through interactions with the other trainees.
The aim of this training program is to produce researchers of high quality, broadly-knowledgeable in the neurosciences, who are able to communicate their findings effectively and work at the forefront of their research area in academia or industry. In keeping with the rigorous nature of the program, we seek first-rate applicants. Trainees must be strong academically, with demonstrated interest in, and aptitude for, scientific inquiry. Predoctoral trainees have a Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline with a B+ to A average and GRE scores above the 80th percentile. Postdoctoral trainees with - Ph.D.s must have completed a research project in a relevant discipline that is worthy of publication in a prestigious journal. Postdoctoral trainees with M.D. degrees must have prior research experience. Support is requested for 2 predoctoral and 4 postdoctoral trainees. The neuroscience training program is carried out by 21 faculty members, each actively involved in teaching and research. These faculty have modern and fully-equipped laboratories, and are well funded through individual research grants (or set-up funds for newly arriving assistant professors). The training program and faculty are located in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building at the University of Miami School of Medicine, where the lectures, laboratory exercises, and seminars are also held.
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