Training the Next Generation of Researchers
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
"Training in Age Related Neurodegenerative Diseases"
NIH/NIA AG00255
Program Director: Virginia M.-Y. Lee, Ph.D.
The Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (CNDR) is the home base and administrative office of a T32 Training Grant funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health to support a training program on age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
The program mentors and educates young investigators to conduct research in age-related neurodegenerative diseases with a goal of supporting trainees as they develop into independent investigators in studies on the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, frontotemporal dementias, motor neuron disease and related disorders.
The trainees are: (a) pre-doctoral Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. students who will be pursuing thesis research in age-related neurodegenerative diseases; (b) Scientists, physicians or veterinarians who have completed a Ph.D., M.D., D.V.M., M.D.-Ph.D. or D.V.M.-Ph.D. and wish to pursue a postdoctoral research fellowship in age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Trainees are given a solid background in basic and translational neuroscience as well as related disciplines in preparation for a career in research on neurodegenerative diseases as an independent investigator.
This is a NIA research training program that provides training and experience with many diverse techniques, methods and approaches to investigate basic and translational questions on age-related neurodegenerative diseases in the setting of a research intense academic medical center and university with a highly interactive group of trainers. Notably, Penn has an extensive didactic program in the neurosciences, pharmacology and other basic and translational disciplines focused on aging and the nervous system that can be individually tailored to the needs of each trainee as a supplement to the core research training provide by CNDR and the trainers in this T32.
Each trainee will undertake an independent project that will provide experience in the design and analysis of their experiments, and in the presentation and publication of the results they obtain from their studies. Other than weekly journal club, students, postdocs and staff members attend biweekly focus group meetings and present their work in informal lab meetings. The annual CNDR Retreat (The Marian S. Ware Research Retreat) provides trainees with opportunities to hone their skills in making scientific presentations in a public but highly supportive scientific forum at Penn. Pre-doctoral students are enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Neuroscience, Pharmacological Sciences, Cell and Molecular Biology, or Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and they progress through a thorough graduate level program prior to undertaking a thesis project.
Primary Trainers:
Abel, Ted (Biology)
Arnold, Steven (Psychiatry/Neurology)
Axelson, Paul (Pharmacology)
Bonini, Nancy (Biology)
Foskett, Kevin (Physiology)
Giasson Benoit (Pharmacology)
Gitler, Aaron (Cell & Developmental Biology)
Grossman, Murray (Neurology)
Holzbaur, Erika (Physiology)
Ischiropoulos, Harry (Biochemistry/Biophysics)
Jordan-Sciutto, Kelly (Pathology/Dental)
Karlawish, Jason (Geriatrics)
Klein, Peter (Medicine/Hematology/Oncology)
Pittman, Randall (Pharmacology)
Scherer, Steve (Neurology)
Sehgal, Amita (Neuroscience)
Shorter, James (Biochemistry/Biophysics)
Trojanowski, John Q. (Pathology and Lab Medicine)
Interested Candidates
Interested candidates should send curriculum vitae and three letters of reference to:
Kevin Davies
Administrative Coordinator
Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
3 Maloney
3600 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 662-4474
Email: daviesk@mail.med.upenn.edu