Stroke - like many brain diseases - is clearly associated with aging and a plethora of age-related co-morbid conditions, including cognitive decline, Alzheimer?s disease (AD), multi-infarct dementia, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, immune suppression, metabolic syndrome and obesity, sleep deprivation, and depression. However, age-related co-morbid conditions, as a variable in stroke occurrence, severity and long- term recovery is seldom studied experimentally, but is one of the identified factors in the lack of progress in the discovery of new therapies for acute stroke brain damage. To optimize the impact of our research on the discovery of new preventatives, acute treatments and rehabilitation methods for stroke, we need to train the next generation of stroke researchers to assess stroke in the context of the affected patent population: those who are elderly and have multiple co-morbid conditions. The Stroke and Its Co-morbidities Predoctoral Training Program will formalize and standardize our already strong training programs in the biomedical sciences and focus on stroke research. A number of innovative aspects of this training program are semester-long didactic courses in ?Stroke? and the ?Neurobiology of Aging?, a clinical immersion in our WVU Stroke Center, a Neuroscience Emerging Research Discoveries in Stroke (NERDS) journal club, an Associate Scholars Program, and experience in community engagement. The proposed training program will select the best PhD students from the participating Biomedical Sciences Training programs at the West Virginia University (WVU) Health Science Center (WVU HSC) and will prepare them with the skills, knowledge and acumen needed for a successful career in stroke research. The specific training for each of 6 mentee will be tailored based on their annually updated Individualized Development Plan (IDP), and an ?Exploring Career Paths? Program will help prepare them for their chosen career. Program training is expected to last 2-to-3 years. This pre-doctoral training program will create a new generation of young scholars who can address the need for innovative stroke research for the citizens of West Virginia and the nation.

Public Health Relevance

Stroke - like many brain diseases - is clearly associated with aging and a plethora of age-related conditions, but age-related co-morbidities, as a variable in stroke occurrence, severity and long-term recovery is seldom studied experimentally, but is one of the identified factors in the lack of progress in the discovery of new therapies for acute stroke brain damage. The Stroke and Its Co-Morbidities Predoctoral Training Program will formalize and standardize our already strong training programs in the biomedical sciences and focus on aging and stroke research by creating a new generation of young scholars who can address the need for innovative stroke research for the citizens of West Virginia and the nation.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Institutional National Research Service Award (T32)
Project #
1T32AG052375-01A1
Application #
9279360
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAG1)
Program Officer
Mackiewicz, Miroslaw
Project Start
2017-05-01
Project End
2022-04-30
Budget Start
2017-05-01
Budget End
2018-04-30
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
West Virginia University
Department
Physiology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
191510239
City
Morgantown
State
WV
Country
United States
Zip Code
26506
Sprenkle, Neil T; Sims, Savannah G; Sánchez, Cristina L et al. (2017) Endoplasmic reticulum stress and inflammation in the central nervous system. Mol Neurodegener 12:42
Sarkar, S; Jun, S; Rellick, S et al. (2016) Expression of microRNA-34a in Alzheimer's disease brain targets genes linked to synaptic plasticity, energy metabolism, and resting state network activity. Brain Res 1646:139-151