The proposed training program is a natural outgrowth of the ongoing interactions among departmental faculty interested in a broad range of issues, all related to sensory systems. As a program focusing on training predoctoral and postdoctoral students to study questions related to sensory development, organization, processing, perception and especially the ongoing interactions among sensory systems, it provides a unique training environment. Predoctoral students in the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy and the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience in the Graduate School of Wake Forest University who want to concentrate their graduate studies on an in-depth analysis of one or more sensory systems are eligible for the training program. This training program offers a singular experience in that 1) topics such as neuropharmacology, receptive field organization, and animal behavior which are normally covered in a generic manner in neuroscience courses are addressed in the context of multiple sensory systems, 2) students rotate through laboratories in which they will gain in-depth experience in several sensory systems, 3) all training program students and faculty participate in a seminar series as well as in a journal club that is topic-keyed to the core courses in Sensory Neuroscience, ensuring continuing broad intellectual and collegial interactions among all members of the training program, and 4) students will be exposed to training opportunities that offer exposure to career paths in addition to traditional tenure-track academic positions. The training faculty is a relatively small group of investigators involved in broad collaborative interactions providing a highly cooperative and interactive environment for predoctoral and postdoctoral training. A major focus for the training program continues to be the recruitment of under represented minorities.

T32DC000057

1998-07-01

2009-06-30