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About Us
The Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program at the National Institute
of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) at the NIH awarded a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant to the Center for Translational Neuroscience. This $15 million,
ten year award is aimed at mentoring clinician scientists, in collaboration with basic scientists, to help them reach nationally competitive levels in NIH grant support. The COBRE programs at the CTN have oversight from an External Advisory Committee made up of established scientists from across the country, an Internal Advisory Committee made up of department chairs, and includes Administrative and Experimental Core Facilities, and a Career Development Program. A number of established and well-funded investigators have agreed to serve as Mentors for young clinician investigators at the CTN.
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Edgar Garcia-Rill, PhD, Director of the CTN |
During the award, we generated >$22 million in new grants to
investigators and recruits, and published >300 articles or chapters and >300
abstracts or presentations. We devised a new and effective treatment for
tinnitus, developed a device as well as a new drug treatment for hyperreflexia
and spasticity after spinal cord injury, we developed a cure (elimination of
symptoms) for spatial neglect, discovered a novel mechanism for sleep-wake
control that will also impact the mechanisms behind anesthesia, and have begun
to decrease the death rate among low birth weight babies in the State. However,
we needed an additional period of support in order to increase our critical mass
of investigators, secure PPG and P50 awards, graduate from the program, and
become an independent Center for Translational Neuroscience. Over the next 5
years, we will 1) strengthen and augment translational neuroscience research
through mentoring promising Junior clinician and basic scientists by
established, dedicated senior Mentors, 2) expand the research programs of Early
career investigators by forming research teams including successful, previously
supported investigators and new Junior investigators mentored by multiple
established senior investigators, 3) enhance the infrastructure critical for
expanding translational neuroscience research by supporting, upgrading and
expanding our Core Facilities, 4) maintain our successful Career Development Program for junior investigators
and institute a new Leadership Program for established, early career, and junior
researchers, who will be required to meet specific performance milestones, and
5) develop a strategy to "graduate" from COBRE support that will ensure the
continuity of the CTN. The Research Plan proposed is designed to meet these aims
and create a permanent Center for Translational Neuroscience. Given the
successes outlined, and despite dramatic changes in funding availability, we are
confident that we will meet our goals in achieving "graduation" from this
program. We look forward to continuing to mentor additional promising clinician
and basic scientists, and help improve health care for our citizens.
Research Projects:
- Developing multiple therapies for ALS
- New therapy for relapse to methamphetamine abuse
- Modulating the long-term effects of neonatal pain
- Role of leptin in sleep and obesity
- Novel therapy for tobacco dependence
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