The UCLA Training Program in Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, directed by Dr. David Glanzman, focuses on predoctoral training and awarding traineeships to excellent Ph.D. candidates. The training program focuses on an area of particular strength at UCLA:  the cellular and molecular mechanisms of neural plasticity, broadly conceived.  The Program educates students in all aspects of neuroscience, with a particular focus on the application of molecular and cellular techniques to specific neurobiological questions.  The techniques and concepts of molecular and cellular biology are increasingly important in the study of neural function and development. Future research in neuroscience depends heavily on people trained in both systems; neuroscience and molecular biology.

The goal of the program is to train a cadre of neuroscience researchers whose work will be instrumental in facilitating the next generation of therapies and prophylaxes for diseases of the brain and central nervous system.  All trainees participate in an introductory course on clinical disorders of behavior, which is designed to enable trainees to conceptualize the potential relevance of their research to modern psychiatry and neurology, and thereby encourage trainees to engage in translational biomedical research.  In addition, trainees are required to take the course, “Ethics and Accountability in Biomedical Research.” The goal of this interactive seminar course is to instruct trainees in the responsible conduct of science. Towards this end, the course examines various real-life situations in research that involve ethical issues.  Participation in workshops on ethics is also required.  The workshops will acquaint trainees with potential ethical dilemmas that they might confront in their careers and how to resolve them. Finally, training in the Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology program involves one-on-one interactions in the laboratory and other program activities with training faculty, including research seminars, short courses, and retreats.  

A major benefit of this program is that participation fosters interaction with a variety of faculty, postdoctoral fellows and students in other Ph.D. programs at UCLA who are investigating the nervous system from different perspectives. This interaction provides Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience trainees with a broad perspective of neuroscience research.  Such a perspective is critical for successful research careers in neuroscience in the 21^st century.

The Training Program funds fellowships for 4 predoctoral trainees each year.

Training Faculty:

David Glanzman, Training Program Director

Arthur Arnold

Mark Barad

Dean Buonomano

Ellen Carpenter

Marie Francoise Chesselet

Christopher Colwell

V. Reggie Edgerton

Christopher Evans

Guoping Fan

Jack Feldman

Daniel Geschwind

Ming Guo

Leif Havton

Joanna Jen

Harley Kornblum

David Krantz

Michael Levine

Nigel Maidment

Kelsey Martin

Istvan Mody

Thomas O’Dell

Thomas Otis

Carlos Portera-Cailliau

Felix Schweizer

Alcino Silva

Desmond Smith

Michael Sofroniew

Yi Sun

Joshua Trachtenberg

Stephanie White

Ciu-Wei Xie

X. William Yang                                             

For more information contact:  Dr. David Glanzman

Email:  dglanzman@physci.ucla.edu           Phone:   310-206-9972

For contact details and additional information about UCLA Neuroscience Faculty, go to:

http://www.neuroscience.ucla.edu 

For information on the neuroscience community and programs at UCLA, go to:

 http://www.bri.ucla.edu