The program is organized around six core activities:
1. Research Project - Planning and implementing a supervised research project in a basic or clinical science laboratory for one full year. Students will translate an idea into an experiment, design that experiment, and learn the skills necessary to execute it, analyze the data, draw conclusions, integrate the findings with those in the literature, and prepare the results for public presentation or publication as an independent manuscript or as part of a larger work. Students will spend at least 15 hours in the lab each week during the fall and spring terms and will continue their research in the laboratory/clinical research setting during the summer for about 30 hours per week. Three credit hours towards graduation will be earned each term for research completed through enrollment in independent research courses such as:
Biological Sciences 1904
Neuroscience 1901
Chemistry 1710 or 1902, and Psychology 1902 (@ the University of Pittsburgh)
or
Biological Sciences 03-445,
Chemistry 09-445
and Psychology 85-507 (@ Carnegie Mellon University)
2. Research-oriented course work: either in the student's area of concentration or other relevant departments. If they have not already done so, fellows in this program are urged to complete at least four upper-level or honors courses that provide research-oriented information, background, and perspective. One specific requirement is a course in statistics to be taken at either the University of Pittsburgh (e.g., Applied Statistics - Stat. 1000) or at Carnegie Mellon University (e.g., Statistics for Lab Sciences - 36-247 or Statistical Reasoning - 36-201). These courses should be selected with the advice of the students' preceptors and academic advisors and be consistent with departmental and university requirements for an undergraduate major in neuroscience, biology, chemistry, or psychology. Students who have yet to take such research-focused courses are free to select two courses each term from among a range of courses relevant to the goals of this program and consistent with their undergraduate majors.
3. Two research courses specially suited to this program: These core courses have been specially developed to meet the educational goals of this program. They are a required part of the curriculum and in the case of NROSCI 1032, some prerequisite coursework is stipulated (described below).
Functional Organization of the Human Nervous System
(NROSCI 1032 - Fall Term)
This course meets twice per week (for 1.5 hours per meeting) and will focus on the basic and clinical neurobiology of human behavior such as learning, memory, visual hallucinations, sleep, dreaming, movement, consciousness, body image, language, aging, and mood and thought disorders. It will be conducted, whenever possible and appropriate, by two faculty members--a laboratory scientist and a clinical scientist.
Standard course prerequisites for NROSCI 1032 are the following:
NROSCI 1000 : Introduction to Neuroscience or NROSCI 1003 (Honors) Introduction to Neuroscience, and
NROSCI 1011 : Functional Neuroanatomy.
However, for non-neuroscience majors only, the following courses may serve as substitute prerequisites:
PSY 85-219 : Biological Foundations of Behavior (Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University) or PSY 05-05 Introduction to Biopsychology (Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh); and
NROSCI 1011 : ("Functional Neuroanatomy") or concurrent registration in NROSCI 1011 and NROSCI 1032. A non-neuroscience major who has not completed NROSCI 1011 in advance of NROSCI 1032 will be permitted to enroll in NROSCI 1032 as an auditor only.
These prerequisite courses are intended to adequately prepare all fellowship students for the advanced seminar in functional neuroanatomy. If a potential applicant anticipates that completion of these courses will not be possible prior to application, it is important to contact the Program Director (Dr. Gretchen Haas) at the address or telephone number listed below. Potential applicants from other institutions should also contact the Program Director to inquire about equivalent courses at their home institution that can serve as substitute prerequisites.
Contemporary Issues in Mental Health Research - Topics in Neuroscience
(NROSCI 1047 - Spring Term)
This course meets once each week for two hours to provide the students with an overview of major mental disorders as well as major clinical research issues in the field. The course will include an historical overview of the field and introduce and discuss the basic vocabulary of psychiatric phenomena and the psychiatric classification system. Four major syndromes (psychotic disorders, anxiety and the "neurotic" disorders, mood disorders, and childhood psychiatric disorders) will then be reviewed and key research issues will be addressed in each of these areas. The course will include live case presentations, supervised field visits, lectures, and group discussions aimed at active student participation.
4. A clinically-oriented summer program at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (WPIC) includes:
Pre-arranged visits to selected research programs for substantive presentations by principal investigators and research staff.
Clinical rounds with the hospital teaching faculty members, including visits to inpatient, outpatient, and emergency services for children, adolescents, and adults with affective disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, Alzheimer's disease, attention deficit disorders, eating disorders, autism, and others.
5. Basic or clinical research lectures given by regular and visiting faculty of the participating departments.
Students are expected to attend at least four lectures during each term.
6. Special activities designed for fellows enrolled in the program including :Monthly
Evening Seminar Series;
Advisory and social group activities with program faculty;
WPIC Research Day (please see detailed information listed
below).
Medical Students
The Program is organized around the following components:
1. Research Project - Students are expected to work approximately 25-30 hours a week during the Fellowship months, including the fall, spring and summer terms (in whichever order they fall per entry date into the program), toward the completion of a unique research project. The findings will be presented at the end of the student's fellowship, to a scientific community of peers and mentors, during the Final Presentations. It is intended that Fellows also prepare, or assist in the preparation of a professional-level manuscript for possible publication. If this cannot be accomplished by the end of their tenure with the Fellowship Program, then It is hoped that students will continue to pursue publication of their findings, with their preceptor, over the course of the subsequent year.
2. Course Work
Research-oriented coursework, either in the student's area of concentration or other relevant departments, is expected. Fellows will be required to enroll in one course during each term of the academic year (fall and spring terms). Medical School courses will be available to the students at no cost, given their status as "Full Time Research Fellows" associated with the Medical School. These courses should be selected with the advice of the student's preceptor and academic advisors, as well as the Program Director.
Also, if they have not had the equivalent prior to entering the Program, Fellows are urged to complete a course in statistics, to be taken at either the University of Pittsburgh, or Carnegie Mellon University (e.g., Applied Statistics - Stat.1000, or Statistics for Lab Sciences - 36-247 or Statistical Reasoning - 36-2001).
3. Supplemental Lectures
At the student's discretion, they will attend four outside lectures during the fall and spring terms, choosing from several series. Please check the Pitt NIMH website, at: www.wpic.pitt.edu/education/ugradmhres for upcoming events. Participating series have included lectures offered by: The Pittsburgh Mind-Body Center; the University of Pittsburgh Departments of Psychiatry, and Psychology; The Carnegie Mellon Psychology Department; and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
4. Medical School Meetings
NIMH Medical School Fellows are invited and encouraged to attend the "WPIC Wide Journal Club Meeting", which aims to provide an open, regular, committee-steered forum where residents and junior and senior faculty from all Academic and Clinical Departments can meet and discuss individual papers of interest from across Psychiatry and Neuroscience research. The Journal Club meets from 12:00 - 1:00 each Thursday.
As well as Journal Club Meetings, Medical School Fellows will be invited to attend the "AOC" meetings, led by Dr. Jason Rosenstock.
5. WPIC Research Day
Each year, the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry holds an annual event called "WPIC Research Day", wherein research trainees from all levels *junior faculty, post-docs, residents, medical students, and undergraduates) present posters of their research. NIMH Fellows will be expected to attend this full day event which takes place in June, at the biomedical Science Tower. Those who have research findings will be strongly encouraged to submit an abstract for presentation at this meeting.