Education for the next generation of young scientists is a major priority of the proposed Center. Students will be trained in the art and science of interdisciplinary multicenter projects that are required to address our scientific questions. Students at both the high school and undergraduate level will be supported as part of this project. We will utilize existing programs designed to attract and train members of underrepresented minorities, persons from disadvantaged backgrounds and persons with disabilities. In addition, the Administrative Core will also be responsible for the career development of technicians, graduate students, postdocs and junior faculty involved in this project and will use individual development plans and research performance progress reports to achieve these goals. Finally, the Administrative Core will engage in public outreach programs that will draw on the diverse neighborhoods around the UCSD.
The Center’s full offerings are listed below. Links to educational websites on addiction are in the right sidebar.
Journal Club
The Center produces an online journal club that convenes once per month on Mondays during the academic year. At each Center site, participants gather in a conference room so they can interact in social settings conducive for thoughtful exchanges. The audience is composed of technicians, graduate students, postdocs and faculty members.
Training for High School, Undergraduate, Graduate Students and Postdocs
The Center provides integrated education and training programs to guide development of the next generation of scientists working in areas of behavioral genetics. Participants develop careers focused on the genetics of drug abuse. Center partner sites foster collaborative interchanges of study groups and research teams. There are professional development opportunities for technicians, graduate students and postdocs, and junior investigators to promote smooth transitions to next career stages.
Research Experiences for High School and Undergraduate Students (REHU)
The REHU program provides high school and undergraduate students support to work on summer research projects at collaborating Center institutions. Students accepted into the program are matched with 10-week projects organized by a mentor. REHU students attend seminars, weekly lab meetings, and lunch meetings, some with journal club presentations. At the end of the program participants submit final summary reports and give talks at a REHU Symposium.
REHU 2015
REHU 2016
Short Course on the Genetics of Addiction (http://courses.jax.org/2015/addiction)
PI Dr. Palmer is one of the organizers of a 6-day course given at the Jackson Laboratory. It is focused on the genetics of drug abuse. Center technicians, REHU students, graduate students, postdocs, and faculty are encouraged to attend. Scholarships are available for participants.
Brain Awareness Day
Brain Awareness Day events for teachers, high school students, undergrads, and the public are produced on Saturday. These programs offer outstanding presentations by science experts. There are also hands-on science exhibits and demonstrations organized by graduate students, postdocs and lecturers. Tours of nearby neuroscience labs conclude the Saturday program. Brain Awareness Days will be held at the University of Chicago (10/24/15), the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center in Memphis, Tennessee (2016), and at the Research Institutes on Addictions in Buffalo, New York (2018).
Brain Awareness Day – October 24th, 2015
Brain Awareness Day – October 1, 2016