This proposal seeks Diversity Supplement funds for the parent R01 NS091836 grant entitled Mechanisms Underlying Excitability Regulation of Motoneuron Types in ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). The candidate, Ms. Christiana Draper, is an African-American woman who has overcome a number of obstacles due to her race, gender, and background (see Biosketch). Also a U.S. natural-born citizen, Ms. Draper qualifies for the Diversity Supplement. Despite obstacles such as having her career goals dismissed by academic advisors, Ms. Draper is an exceptionally strong candidate, as evidenced by her full-tuition scholarship from the U.S. Navy at Spelman College (graduated Summa Cum Laude), her Howard Hughes Research Fellowship and her intense 4-month lab rotation with this PI. Ms. Draper's proposed research, entitled The neuromodulatory important changes impact of state on the excitability changes of motoneurons and the motor pool in ALS, will provide adjunctive data to the origina l R01. Briefly, the PI's team eported novel findings on excitability in motoneurons (MNs) during ALS. These are expected to r impact the composition and firing behaviors of the motor pool. Furthermore, neuromodulatory (NM) states affect excitability behaviors, but the field has yet to report on the impact of NM on ALS-induced excitability changes. Thus, Ms. Draper's experiments will expand on the original work by comparing ALS changes in excitability properties at both low and high NM states at both the cellular level and the MN network level. This is expected to produce important novel findings over a wider range of physiological conditions and assist in identifying therapeutic targets. Importantly, the performance of this independent project under the mentorship of the PI will place Ms. Draper on track to obtaining her M.D./Ph.D. Her long-term goal is to become a clinician and researcher at the Walter Reed Military Center. The proposed research will provide Ms. Draper with a wide range of hands-on laboratory skills, important career skills, and result in published abstracts and papers, necessary for independent funding. The PI will support her independence by encouraging her input on experimental design and analysis of data. He will experientially teach her to present findings, receive critiques, and defend data, first in the supportive environment of the lab team and progressing to poster presentations at the Society for Neuroscience and Motoneuron conferences. She is expected to start writing her own first-author paper and grant proposal (Kirschstein/NRSA) within 10 months. Additionally, Ms. Draper will receive mentoring on grant writing, responsible conduct of research, and statistical analysis to support her ability to design experiments, produce rigorous, reproducible data, obtain independent funding, and succeed as an independent researcher. Additional mentors include Dr. Mark Rich, M.D./Ph.D. and Director of the Neuroscience Institute at Wright State; Dr. Kevin Watt, and African-American Ophthalmologist, and Dr. Amr Mahrous, a Postdoctoral scholar in the PI's lab who has trained several students in the protocols to be used by Ms. Draper in her experiments.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable, fatal disease with few treatment options, only one of which (Riluzole) has a verified impact on survival, and which extends life by only 3 months. This Diversity Supplement funding would extend the findings of the parent R01 grant, and is thus relevant to public health by providing additional data to identify targets for better therapies.
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