The goal of this training grant is to provide U.S. biomedical scientists (MD and PhD) with the skills needed to study the genetic basis of mental illness in the American Latino population. This training program will build on several NIH funded genetics research projects on mental illnesses in Latinos being conducted at the Psychiatric Genetics Center (PGC) at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA). We currently have a training program in psychiatric genetics for mental health professionals from Costa Rica (funded by the NIMH and the Fogarty International Center). This grant will enable us to educate U.S. based researchers with the same extensive training program currently available to Costa Rica scientists, training will cover five main areas: 1) Characterization of psychiatric phenotypes and endophenotypes, 2) Cultural competence as applied to research in Latino populations, 3) Molecular biology methods and techniques for the mapping and identification of genes which predispose to mental illness in the Latino population, 4) Statistical analysis of collected data and 5) Ethics of psychiatric genetics research with cross-ethnic populations. This program proposes to provide training along three tracks: Track 1 consisting of 9 months of training for PGY III and IV Psychiatry Residents. Track 2 consists of 2 to 3 year clinical research fellowships for Psychiatrists and/or Psychologists (expected to have recently completed their specialty training). Track 3 will consist of 2 to 3 years of training for basic science post-doctoral trainees. At the completion of their training, students will have acquired expertise in the field of Psychiatric Genetics, in conducting ethical, effective research with Hispanic populations and in developing collaborative endeavors with researchers from the U.S. and Latin America. The principal goal of our current training grant application is to develop a cadre of investigators with the ability to design and carry out psychiatric genetic research studies in the Latino population of the United States.
Specific aims of the program follow. ? ?
| Escamilla, Michael; Hare, Elizabeth; Dassori, Albana M et al. (2009) A schizophrenia gene locus on chromosome 17q21 in a new set of families of Mexican and central american ancestry: evidence from the NIMH Genetics of schizophrenia in latino populations study. Am J Psychiatry 166:442-9 |
