Research Training - Biological Sciences

Abstract The main goal of the Biological Sciences Training Program in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University is to train postdoctoral fellows in biological and behavioral sciences relevant to mental illness and health. To attain this goal, the program recruits two groups of postdoctoral trainees: 1) individuals with a PhD degree in neuroscience or other basic science discipline, and, 2) psychiatrists interested in basic and translational neurobiology research, generally after completion of two or three years of clinical residency. To help fill a nationally recognized need, the aim of the program is both to develop the interest of basic neuroscientists in clinical problems as well as in interdisciplinary aspects of their own basic research and to increase the number of research psychiatrists with a grounding in basic biological sciences. Thus, the overall objective is to promote cross-fertilization between basic researchers and individuals who are experienced clinically. Extensive research collaborations between faculty members in the training program fosters the interdisciplinary experience of the trainees. It is expected that trainees coming out of this program will be able to bridge the gap between basic and clinical neuroscience and conduct translational research to elucidate the molecular, cellular and circuit-level basis of complex behaviors related to major psychiatric illnesses. There are 28 faculty members in the program consisting of both basic and clinical researchers. The number of yearly postdoctoral training slots requested is five, the same number as the current grant. The program typically involves training for 2 years in one primary discipline but usually includes direct or collaborative interactions with other disciplines. Interdisciplinary laboratory training is offered in molecular and cellular neurobiology, gene expression profiling, proteomics, transcriptomics, genomics, in vivo imaging, in vivo multi-electrode recording, optogenetics, intracellular signaling, neurochemistry, electrophysiology, neuropharmacology, and behavioral models of psychiatric illness, as well as motivation, reward, cognition, learning and memory; there is an emphasis on interactions with strong clinical research programs in the department of Psychiatry. Human research training is offered in behavioral assessment, genetic analysis, biological measurements, and multiple types of neuroimaging techniques. In addition to specific research training, there are courses in Clinical Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology as well as seminars and regular Workshops in which postdoctoral fellows present ongoing research to the entire group of faculty and trainees. The training proposal is directly relevant to the research objectives of NIMH by fostering the training of researchers to produce new knowledge about mental disorders, both normative and maladaptive behaviors, and novel treatment strategies. Thus, basic and clinical research is carried out in areas pertaining to anxiety (e.g., panic and post- traumatic stress disorder), obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and mood disorders.