This program has the purpose of preparing postdoctoral students for careers in biomedical research and teaching. Fields of specialization are neurophysiology and biophysics, neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, developmental neurobiology, molecular neurobiology and neurogenetics. The form of the training further illustrates the interdisciplinary nature of the program. Primary emphasis is given to research undertaken through cooperation of several neurobiology laboratories, each with its own specific approach. Training takes place in the Division of Biology at UCSD which fosters a spirit of interdisciplinary fusion motivated by founders of the campus, in which many different types of biology are being pursued and many different approaches to solving problems are being shared. All participants have access to the wider neurobiological community, including the faculty and equipment at institutions affiliated with UCSD: The Neuroscience Department of UCSD's School of Medicine, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Salk Institute, the Scripps Research Foundation and the Neurosciences Institute. These resources have proved to be valuable components of the training environment. Seminars include weekly journal clubs, weekly talks from local and visiting neurobiologists, and specialized graduate courses on a wide range of topics. These complement the research program, which is conducted under the sponsorship of individual faculty members. Postdoctoral trainees also participate in the teaching done by faculty, by lecturing in specialized neurobiology courses. However emphasis is placed on developing the potential of individual trainees for independent and original research. The four postdoctoral trainees are typically Ph.D.s, usually from other neurobiology programs, although they occasionally come from other areas of science. The selection criteria are superior scholarship in rigorous undergraduate and graduate programs, solid evidence of excellent and original research abilities, recommendations from past advisors, and expressions of commitment to careers in biomedical research. Effort is made to identify individuals of minority status. Research training takes place chiefly in the laboratories of the participating faculty, although the close ties with other labs and institutes and the interdisciplinary spirit of the community make it likely that some parts of a trainee's research will take place in other local labs. The campus computer center/supercomputer support training with a local Vax and other more specialized facilities.
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