John D. Koester - US grants

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Support is requested for a degree-granting program (the Doctoral Subcommittee in Neurobiology and Behavior at Columbia University), which provides integrated academic and research training leading to a Ph.D. degree in neuroscience. The nervous system is the most complex of all tissues, and understanding its biology has required the combined forces of several areas of modern science, including cell biology, biochemistry, developmental biology, molecular biology, pharmacology, physiology, ethology and psychology. The educational requirements of this field can be difficult to meet if constrained by long established requirements of the traditional academic departments. Neuroscience faculty from throughout the university have therefore joined together to establish a university-wide, multidisciplinary training program to meet the educational needs of predoctoral neuroscience students. The 53 faculty members include many leaders in various areas of neuroscience, whose research interests span the range from molecules to cognition. This broadly-based program provides coherent training via a unified admissions process, curriculum, and training. Trainees will have access to the facilities and resources of the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior and the Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Biological Sciences, Genetics and Development, Neurology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Psychiatry, and Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, and Psychology. Four major areas of strength in training expertise are: 1) Biophysics and cell biology of neurons; 2) Cognitive and systems neurobiology; 3) Neurobiology of behavior and learning; 4) Neural differentiation and development. Support will be provided for five students during the first two years of training (10 total/year), which typically lasts 5-6 years.