Pittsburgh, September 8, 2023 -- The University of Pittsburgh Departments of Neurology and Neurological Surgery and Division of Neuropathology have just been awarded a five-year NIH NINDS R25 Research Education Grant to help advance academic research careers in the field of neuroscience.
The grant will fund the “Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Neuropathology Pittsburgh Research Education Program” (N3-PREP). The overarching and long-term goal of the program is to train the next generation of physician-neuroscientists in basic science, translational science, data science, and clinical (patient-oriented) research through a closely mentored approach, in an environment ripe with physical and faculty resources across the translational spectrum of neuro-focused research.
Key components of N3-PREP include a well-defined pathway for each trainee to be paired with a primary mentor and a mentoring committee, a core curriculum, internal study sections for grant reviews, progress tracking for both the trainee and mentor, and continued support for the trainee’s progress toward an NIH K mentored-career development award or equivalent. A longitudinal track beginning in the PGY-1 year will increase the interest of the matriculating residents across participating departments, transform the culture, and ultimately increase a diverse pool of residents well-prepared to receive the most from the benefits of direct R25 funding.
The core curriculum of N3-PREP includes formal training in experimental design and scientific rigor, statistical methodology, grant writing, presentation skills, DEI principles, and the responsible conduct of research. Led by multi-principal investigators in Neurology (Page B. Pennell, MD), Neurological Surgery (Constantinos G. Hadjipanayis, MD, PhD) and Neuropathology (Julia K. Kofler, MD) and an advisory committee, N3-PREP is well supported by commitments from 87 research mentors across 16 departments.
Physician-neuroscientists are essential for converting the discoveries from the laboratory to diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for persons burdened by neurologic diseases. Integration of research training during clinical training years (residency and fellowship) is pivotal to fostering the next generation of physician-neuroscientists, essential to bringing the neuro-based discoveries to the bedside.
Biomedical research is a high priority at the University of Pittsburgh with faculty across more than 20 departments and institutes performing a wide variety of cutting-edge research. Ultimately, researchers believe that N3-PREP will increase the number of well-prepared neuro-focused physician-scientists from the University of Pittsburgh who will progress to the forefront of guiding innovative neuroscience research.
