Education & Training
People are at the heart of our Education & Training program at the Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center. Since the NeuroDiscovery Center was launched in 2001, we have provided over $10 million in awards throughout the Harvard medical community. This funding has supported 1) collaborative research grants that bring together investigators from different institutions; 2) post-doctoral fellowships that foster young investigators and their research; 3) pre-doctoral training fellowships and MD/PhD fellowships that support the next generation of researchers; 4) sabbatical fellowships that bring new projects into the NeuroDiscovery Center's drug discovery program, and 5) innovation grants that support cutting-edge technological innovations.
Research grants and fellowship funding, awarded 2001-2005 by the primary institution of the recipients, is reflected below. Click here for a complete list of awardees.
BIDMC – Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, BWH – Brigham & Women’s Hospital, CH– Children’s Hospital Boston, DFCI – Dana Farber Cancer Institute, FAS - Faculty of Arts & Sciences (Harvard), HMS – Harvard Medical School, McLean – McLean Hospital, MEEI – Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, MGH – Massachusetts General Hospital, SERI – Schepens Eye Research Institute.
The NeuroDiscovery Education and Training Program continues to attract innovative and talented young scientists to our community. Future awards will be allocated to support doctoral level investigators seeking further training and experience in research approaches to neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, investigators launching truly innovative programs dedicated to translational neurodegenerative disease research are encouraged to contact us to discuss your ideas.
Training Courses
The NeuroDiscovery Center offers various training courses throughout the academic year. Emails will be distributed to Neurodiscovery members, please join the NeuroDiscovery Center if you haven't already done so. Future offerings will cover two areas:
Introduction to FACS: Analysis and Applications in Neuroscience
Instructors: Hande Ozdinler & Jan Pruszak
Faculty Hosts: Ole Isacson & Jeff Macklis
This laboratory course is aimed at providing researchers with a conceptual and practical understanding of the approaches this methodology offers, as well as the technical background and skills to plan and conduct the required applications. Although the main emphasis will be on the application of FACS in neuroscience research, the workshop will be open to researchers with other interests.
In addition to a theoretical introduction to FACS, the course will allow hands-on experience in cell harvesting techniques, basics of flow cytometric analysis, and optimization of FACS purification approaches. Isolation of viable postnatal neuronal populations, primary fetal neurons, or precursor-derived neuronal cells for detailed in vitro and in vivo analysis will be covered.
CNS Stereotaxic & Microsurgical Approaches in the Rodent
Instructors: Eiman Azim, Jason Emsley, Denis Jabaudon & James Koprich
Faculty Hosts: Ole Isacson & Jeff Macklis
Stereotaxic surgery is required for many procedures involving disease modeling and substance delivery into the central nervous system. The special characteristics of the CNS requires local, targeted delivery in most experimental paradigms, including cell replacement therapy, protein and gene delivery, tracing studies and disease modeling. The first part of this course provides a comprehensive up-to-date discussion of stereotaxic systems, delivery systems, common tracers for individual neurons and circuitries and preparation of cells for transplantation into brain and spinal cord. There will also be an introduction to methods for in utero surgery in the developing rodent CNS. In the second hands-on part you will learn to use stereotaxic systems to effectively plan your targets (and hit them), how to choose critical parameters for the administration of fluids and how to combine neuronal tracers in an effective way. You will also learn many technical tips for stereotaxic rodent surgery.
We are interested in developing other courses of interest to the NeuroDiscovery community. If you find yourself offering regular but ad hoc training to friends and colleagues and would consider converting it into a formal course, please contact us.