Training in the Neurobiology of Neurological Disease

This proposal requests the renewal of the Neurobiology of Neurological Disease T32 Grant, a post-doctoral training program now in its tenth year. This 2-year program funds six fellows per year, and we seek to maintain support due to its success. The program has five primary goals: 1) To foster an understanding of diseases that are of high relevance to NINDS employing patient-focused model systems and training paradigms; 2) To ensure that trainees are appropriately mentored in their research and that they acquire the professional skills necessary for independent careers in the disease neuroscience, 3) To afford opportunities for innovative research; and 4) To support training of "special cases" – individuals whose needs differ from those of the typical training fellow. This includes individuals with non-neuroscience backgrounds who seek training in neuroscience and human diseases/disorders of the neurological systems. Our program requires trainees to participate actively in a two-year course on the “Neurobiology of Disease” taught by clinician-scientists and basic scientists that include training faculty. The second half of the two-hour weekly class provides career development and discussion among the trainees and faculty mentors. To integrate subject matter with training in experimental design and statistics, the course includes analysis of clinical trials for NINDS-relevant disorders and trainee- designed in-class exercises that stimulate discussion of design and data analysis issues relevant to their research. A biostatistician faculty member is included for instruction and as a resource for the trainee and mentor, providing opportunities for training in skills needed to enhance research reproducibility. New aspects of this program include the dissection of disease-affected human brain tissue, a human cell model workshop highlighting the translatability of these models, and a Biostatistics Bootcamp. Trainees also attend seminars in Responsible Conduct in Research and Professional Development tailored to the specific needs of postdoctoral fellows. Mentoring research in an accomplished laboratory is at the core of every postdoctoral experience. To oversee this experience, each trainee has a primary research adviser and an Individual Research Advisory Committee that includes a statistician. We believe that the unique nature of our program, the quality of our faculty, and our state-of-the-art facilities enable us to attract outstanding fellows who become successful scientists after completing our program.