One of the most powerful and promising approaches for unlocking the mysteries of how the nervous system forms, how it works, and how it breaks down in injury or disease, is the application of the methods of modern Cellular and Molecular Biology to the traditional problems of Neuroscience. A continuation is proposed of a program that trains graduate students in the fundamentals of Cell/Molecular Biology and Neurobiology. The program combines training in biochemistry, cell biology, and genetics with neuroanatomy, systems neurobiology, neurophysiology, and developmental neurobiology. The program, which is intended to culminate in the award of the Ph.D. degree, is carried out under the auspices of two multi-departmental, multi-disciplinary graduate training groups, and takes advantage of a wide range of resources available at U.C. Irvine for the conduct of Neuroscience research. The program involves 31 primary training faculty with primary appointments in 11 different departments. Most are experienced Neuroscience trainers, and all run thriving research laboratories that use a variety of cutting-edge approaches to address important Neurobiological questions. A continuation of the current support level of six predoctoral traineeships is requested over each of the next five years. Traineeships will be used to support students during the first two years of the program, when they complete extensive coursework, engage in laboratory rotations, attend lab meetings, seminars and journal clubs, and obtain teaching experience. During this time, the progress of trainees will be closely monitored and evaluated through written and oral examinations. Beginning in the second year of training, students embark on thesis research, under the close supervision of a training mentor and committee of program faculty. Following completion of this program, trainees will be qualified for careers in Neuroscience research and/or teaching in basic science departments and medical schools, or for research careers in non-academic research laboratories.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 26 publications
