NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research

 

Training in Computational Neuroscience: From Biology to Model and Back Again
A Blueprint-Funded Resource

• These programs combine training in basic neuroscience with the theoretical and technological approaches of computational neuroscience.

Predoctoral Neuroscience Training

• Provides support to students during their early years in a predoctoral neuroscience program, before they begin full-time thesis research.

• Twelve institutions received grants to develop these courses in FY 05 and FY 06.
• Each institution is required to disseminate course materials to the neuroscience community. For a list of course sites, plus course directors and their contact information, please view our Neuro Disease Courses page.

NIH-Supported Courses at the Marine Biological Laboratory

• Introduces students to the computational and mathematical techniques used to study brain function, from the level of single ion channels to integrated neural circuits.

• Covers the genetic, anatomical and behavioral tools available for studying nervous system development in the zebrafish.

• Covers topics in systems-level neuroscience, including the cellular basis of pattern generators, vocal learning and plasticity, and sensory-motor integration.

• A laboratory-oriented course in cellular and molecular neurobiology divided into three sections: Electrophysiology, Imaging, and Molecular Neurobiology.

• Explores the use of digital technology for analyzing and integrating large volumes of mutlichannel data in neuroscience research.

• Introduces students to topics and techniques in neuroscience research, ethical issues, and survival skills such as grant writing and public speaking. Students may spend another four weeks in a research lab at MBL.
• Targeted to groups underrepresented in neuroscience research.

NIH-Supported Neuroscience Courses at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories

• In past years, has covered gene transfer technologies such as viral vectors and BACs, gene expression analysis using microarrays and the use of small interfering RNAs.

• Covers light microscopy, with an emphasis on multi-photon laser scanning microscopy and fluorescent probes of cellular function.

• Explores the properties of ion channels in a variety of neural cell types and systems.

• Intended for researchers at all levels who want to use Drosophila as an experimental system for nervous system studies.

Other NIH-Supported Courses and Workshops

• Everything you need to know about event-related potentials (ERPs) - the signals recorded from the brain during an electroencephalogram (EEG) - from experimental design to data collection and analysis.

• Advanced course intended for those who have attended earlier workshops and/or are already familiar with the principles of univariate and simple multivariate analyses of sibling data.

• Two-day workshop on career development, funding opportunities and grant writing tips for neuroscience researchers.

• Covers current topics in cognitive neuroscience, and offers a lab component on brain imaging and other neuroanatomical techniques. The topic for 2007 is "Social Neuroscience and Neuroeconomics and Decision Making."

Training Websites of Blueprint Institutes and Centers

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)

National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)    Clinical Research    Comparative Medicine

National Eye Institute (NEI)

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)