Training in Sleep & Sleep Disorders

ABSTRACT This proposal is for a training program in the area of sleep and circadian research and the related disorders. There is growing evidence of the prevalence of sleep disorders in the American population, and that problems related to inadequate sleep have a major impact on many aspects of our society. At a basic level, little is known about the fundamental mechanisms that control sleep and the function(s) of sleep. Thus, there is a major opportunity for scientific discovery. One of the barriers that is recognized to advancing the knowledge base in this area is the paucity of investigators, both those engaged in basic research and in patient-oriented research. This application describes a training program that is based on the relatively unique faculty resources and structures at the University of Pennsylvania for support of research in sleep and its disorders. The proposal describes specific training aspects that are intended to complete the matrix for training opportunities at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in the area of research in sleep/sleep disorders. These aspects are the following: research training for graduate students. This is based on training provided by 3 graduate groups at Penn. Each graduate program has a similar structure, albeit with different required coursework. The graduate groups are: a) the Neuroscience Graduate Program. This is the Graduate Group that has been involved in this program since its inception. We will utilize, where appropriate, structures, courses and other resources developed by this group; b) a graduate track in genomics/computational biology; c) graduate group in cell and molecular biology that offers our graduate students training in areas such as metabolism, genetics, and epigenetics; d) a targeted MD/PhD program to train physician-scientists in sleep/circadian research. This aspect of our program will be based on the outstanding institutional MD/PhD program at the University of Pennsylvania. We also have a postdoctoral training program for nurse investigators. This will be based on the preeminent School of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania. The strong, well-established collaboration between the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing in this area provides a unique opportunity to develop a much needed national program to train nurse investigators in this area. All of these components of the program will utilize the extensive resources for research in sleep/circadian that have been developed at the University of Pennsylvania.