The proposed program is to provide a summer research experience in next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis for neurogenetics and neurogenomics for 10 undergraduate students. NGS has transformed the field of genomics and is increasingly permeating all aspects of biosciences research and medicine. Using NGS to understand the brain and neurological disease is one of the major frontiers in biomedical science and will drive advances in the field in the near future and for decades to come. There will be a huge need for researchers in neuroscience with strong data analysis skills relevant to genomics. This need is evident in the increasing emphasis on quantitative analysis skills in biosciences graduate programs as well as in biomedical professional schools. To address this need, we will establish the program called ?Bruins in Genomics in Neurogenetics and Neurogenomics (BIGNGG)?. It will leverage the infrastructure of an existing summer program ?Bruins in Genomics (BIGSummer)?, supported by the Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences (QCB) at UCLA, and the QCB Collaboratory. BIG Summer consists of a combination of practical workshop tutorials that focus on NGS data analysis skills, and a hands-on research experience in genomics. The proposed R25 program will allow 10 additional students to participate in BIG, and specifically to learn about the growing and cutting-edge research field of neurogenetics and neurogenomics. The students will be quantitative or biosciences majors entering their junior and senior years. We expect that many of our participants will have this research experience serve as a launching point for continuing in biomedical research in either quantitative biosciences Ph.D. programs such as a Bioinformatics Ph.D. program or a Neuroscience Ph.D. program.

Public Health Relevance

Genomic technologies are revolutionizing biomedical research and increasingly permeating all aspects of biosciences research and medicine. This development has triggered a huge need for genomic data analysis expertise among researchers and professionals. There is a particular need for this expertise among researchers in the neuroscience community and this proposal aims to provide training in genomic analysis to undergraduate students who are interested in careers in neuroscience.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Education Projects (R25)
Project #
1R25NS115554-01
Application #
9920370
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZNS1)
Program Officer
Ullrich, Lauren Elizabeth
Project Start
2019-12-15
Project End
2024-11-30
Budget Start
2019-12-15
Budget End
2020-11-30
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2020
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Los Angeles
Department
Biostatistics & Other Math Sci
Type
Biomed Engr/Col Engr/Engr Sta
DUNS #
092530369
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90095