Neurobehavior, Neuropathology, and Risk Factors in Alzheimer's Disease

We are applying to renew the University of Washington Alzheimer's Disease Training Program (ADTP), “Neurobehavior, Neuropathology, and Risk Factors in Alzheimer's Disease.” Our program focuses on translational research in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias. The objective of our research training program is to provide interdisciplinary training for basic science, clinical, and translational researchers so that they will be able to advance both clinical and mechanistic hypotheses about the etiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of AD and related disorders. Our training program remains the only formal program at the University of Washington (UW) focused on training investigators to carry out basic mechanistic, clinical, and translational research in AD and related neurodegenerative dementing disorders. Our program is supported by the rich and interactive research environment of the UW and Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, where a critical mass of faculty conduct research across the spectrum of AD and related dementias. The program requests funding to maintain the currently funded positions for 7 postdoctoral trainees and 4 predoctoral students. Postdoctoral PhD candidates come from a broad range of disciplines, including clinical psychology, neuropsychology, biochemistry, genetics, neurobiology, and pharmacology. Basic science trainees typically join the program during their first year of postgraduate training and remain for three years. Incoming MD postdoctoral candidates are expected to have completed a residency, usually in psychiatry, neurology, neuropathology, radiology, nuclear medicine, internal medicine, or geriatric medicine. MD and clinician PhD fellows are expected to remain for a two-year period and will be strongly encouraged to remain for a third year. Predoctoral trainees will be recruited from the following UW PhD programs: The Medical Scientist Training Program, Genome Sciences, Molecular Basis of Disease, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Neuroscience, and Pharmacology programs; recruited predoctoral trainees will join the ADTP program in their second or third year of graduate training. Direct recruitment efforts are made to include underserved minority trainees.