Over the last decade there has been an enormous increase in basic neuroscience research in a variety of areas including systems neuroscience, developmental neuroscience, molecular neuroscience, and cellular neurophysiology/neuropharmacology. While clinical neuroscientists have managed to keep pace with the information and technology that most directly impacts upon the daily practice of medicine, they have been unable to appreciate the full implications of much of this basic research. Moreover, they have not been able to actively participate in the actual acquisition of new neurobiological data because the research technology is beyond the scope of medical school and neurology residency education. The NSADA institutional award represents a creative new mechanism to bring potential young academic pediatric neurologists into fundamental neuroscience research. The five year award allows motivated individuals to get sufficient didactic and laboratory experience to begin sophisticated independent investigation in the neurosciences. We expect to admit pediatric neurology residents into the NSADA program for two research years prior to the start of their core clinical neurology residency. After completion of clinical neurology training, they will have three additional years of intense laboratory exposure. This is the equivalent of two standard postdoctoral fellowships and should provide the NSADA fellows with a substantial research background. The Division of Pediatric Neurology and Program in Neurosciences at Washington University have extensive intellectual and physical resources that will be available to NSADA trainees. The 18 mentors identified for this grant have been selected from over 75 full-time faculty members with neuro-science labs. They represent a group with superb teaching skills and proven interest in the research development of clinicians. They should insure our ability to educate these pediatric neuroscientists for the next millennium. This research immersion should translate into better care for children with neurological disease.
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