The goal of this training program entitled ?Predoctoral Training at the Interface of Brain, Body, and Behavior? (BBB) at Brandeis University is to produce a new generation of scientists equipped to discover the mechanisms of a broad range of healthy and clinically disordered mental and behavioral functions by applying both the core concepts and methods of psychology and the interface of these methods with neuroscience and biomedical research. This new application under NIGMS PAR-17- 341 builds on a T32 program that is expiring after ten years of NIGMS support. Neuroscience at Brandeis is an umbrella for extensive overlap of Psychology and Biology faculty, but co-training of PhD students has thus far been prohibited by differences between the Psychology and Neuroscience graduate programs. The old BBB program supported Psychology PhD students and provided them with supplementary training in neuroscience and biomedicine, and the new BBB proposes to support both Psychology and Neuroscience PhD students and to give them complementary co-training in each other?s disciplines. Psychology appointees will be supported in years 1 and 2 and Neuroscience students in years 2 and 3, but all will engage in BBB activities from year 1 to graduation. The old BBB training grant had 3 NIGMS slots, and the new BBB proposes 4 NIGMS slots evenly divided between the Psychology and Neuroscience, supplemented by one additional slot pledged by Brandeis University. Psychology and Neuroscience have mutually revised their PhD programs such that BBB students can satisfy departmental course electives with BBB-specific classes from the other program. Additional required BBB co-training students includes research mentoring in the same laboratories, research rotations, a common module for training in rigor and reproducibility, coordinated journal clubs, and joint colloquia. These BBB requirements, departmental requirements, and enhancement activities are designed to provide students broad and deep training on specific bio-behavioral problems and quantitative training in research implementation and rigor as well as mentoring in how to develop, communicate, and fund an independent scientific program. The training faculty include 12 members with primary appointments in Psychology and 7 in Biology, all of whom are members of the Volen National Center for Complex Systems which houses the Neuroscience PhD program. One of the Psychology BBB faculty is a non-tenure track specialist who teaches and advises students on statistics and research design, with a special emphasis on methods of rigor and reproducibility. Another major aim of our program is to grow by attracting and fostering a diverse group of students. Over the past 10 years, 21% of students in the Psychology BBB program have been under-represented minorities, and the Neuroscience program has enrolled 13-20% URMs per year, and we aim to continue this trend.
The goal of this training program is to produce a new generation of scientists equipped to discover the mechanisms of a broad range of healthy and clinically disordered mental and behavioral functions by applying both the core concepts and methods of psychology and the interface of these methods with neuroscience and biomedical research. The major innovations are programmatic elements for the co- training of Psychology and Neuroscience PhD students.
