Wednesday, January 15, 2025
1/15/2025
Project Summary/Abstract The Developmental Neurology Training Program at Boston Children's Hospital is designed to produce trainees who are equipped for and deeply engaged in state-of-the-art research in developmental neuroscience from a detailed and mechanistic perspective, while also cognizant of the clinical importance of their field and the clinical challenges and opportunities today. A key aspect of the program is the attention given to experimental design, statistics, and quantitative skills that contribute to rigorous science. We take advantage of the presence of an extraordinary community of basic neuroscientists at Children's Hospital and its affiliated institutions. We select outstanding candidates who will work in one of 30 mentor laboratories and engage in fundamental mechanistic research. These highly interactive laboratories employ genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, imaging, electrophysiology, anatomy and behavior and use diverse experimental systems. Consequently, our trainees are exposed to the full breadth of the field and are prepared to make informed strategic decisions. The goal of the program is not to distract from an intensive research experience in fundamental molecular mechanisms of neurodevelopment, but rather to ensure the highest standards of rigor in experimental design and analysis and to inform the trainees of the context of the research in human health. The training program is also designed to have a spill-over effect of enhancing the attention to rigor and quantitative skills in the broader community of neuro-research trainees and their mentors. Each trainee is also paired with a clinician or clinician-scientist as a co-mentor with the goal of helping trainees to understand the relationship of basic research to health and disease. This co-mentoring relationship will take advantage of the hospital setting and augment the rich opportunities for learning about translational research. The research experience of the trainee also enhanced by an extensive mentoring relationship with the Directors of the Training Program, Prof. Thomas Schwarz and Prof. Elizabeth Engle, who meet with and advise the trainees to offer feedback and career guidance, and by monthly trainee group meetings and a trainee-organized seminar series. The training experience is further supplemented by a wealth of career-guidance instruction, including presentation skills, job-seeking skills, information about diverse career options, and of course the responsible conduct of research. All of this is situated within an environment of extraordinary resources and intellectual life. We have recruited a racially and ethnically diverse faculty of mentors and are committed to enhancing the diversity of the community of neuroscientists through our Training Program. There are few challenges in neuroscience as great as understanding the processes that result in neurodevelopmental disorders and intellectual disabilities and there is a growing awareness that many affective disorders arise from errors in development. To face this challenge, the next generation will require rigorous training and strong quantitative skills. Without deeper mechanistic understanding of these processes, the clinical challenges will remain.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).