This program trains post-residency physicians and other post-doctoral clinical neuroscientists in: (1) the clinical, pathophysiologic, and pharmacologic aspects of neurologic diseases; (2) the conceptualization, ethics, design, implementation, management, analysis, and reporting of clinical trials; and (3) population-based clinical research. The program is directed by senior leaders in clinical trials and other patient-oriented research and translational neuroscience, and includes the principal investigator of Rochester's NeuroNEXT site (also Department Chair), the Director of Rochester's Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and an underrepresented minority faculty member as Assistant Fellowship Director. An integrated 2-3 year program provides: (1) mentoring supervision by 21 neuroscientists and 3 biostatisticians experienced in clinical investigation and in development of novel therapies; (2) a didactic curriculum of basic and applied statistics, neuro-epidemiology and clinical research design; (3) seminars on: clinical trial design; the basic sciences underlying experimental therapeutics; neuroethics; and grant and career development; (4) collaboration with faculty from Neurology and Public Health Sciences with expertise in outcomes, bioinformatics, cost- effectiveness, quality of life and other areas of health service research; (5 training in the emerging fields of global- and tele-neurology; (6) clinical experience in disease states under intensive investigation in Rochester and; (7) mentoring for an independent academic career. Training draws on strengths of clinical neuroscientists with investigative programs in neuromuscular disease, movement disorders, multiple sclerosis, dementia, epilepsy, stroke, and Neuro-AIDS; integration with Biostatistics faculty; and formal interaction with neuroscientists who are developing novel treatment strategies. Trainees gain the necessary skills to: generate new knowledge applicable to the treatment of neurologic disorders, achieve independent research careers, and obtain a tenure-track faculty position in clinical neuroscience. Support is sought for 4 post-residency trainees; 2-4 trainees will be accepted into the program annually. Recruitment and career development focuses on diversity including women, the disabled and underrepresented minorities by developing a diverse program leadership and faculty for mentoring, targeted outreach to underrepresented minority applicants including collaboration with pipeline programs to increase the pool of leadership-focused individuals, and collaboration with the University of Rochester Office for Diversity. Training facilities include: the Clinical and Translational Science Institute and its Clinical Research Center, the Clinical Trials Coordination Center, Biostatistics Department, and three centers: Translational Neuromedicine; Neural Development and Disease; and the Center for Human Experimental Therapeutics. The training program infrastructure is also utilized by trainees supported by other funding sources. Trainees are positioned for leadership in academic institutions and in both government and the private sector.
The growing burden of common and rare neurologic diseases coupled with advances in basic and clinical neuroscience create a compelling need to teach neurologists how to discover and test new treatments for neurologic disease including: longitudinal characterization of disease course and of outcome measures, clinical trial design and biomarker development as well as in economic and global perspectives on treatment development.
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