Dick Mains Chair, Neuroscience Dept. Assoc. Director, Neuroscience Graduate Program (elected; 2yr; to be Director next)

PhD in Biomedical Sciences OR PhD in Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience Area of Concentration ~30 matriculate every year to U Conn Health Center Neuroscience students = 2 (low) to 9 (highest, this year) About 2/3 enter our program committed to Neuroscience, 1/3 not committed initially (any Area of Concentration) We gain 1-2 and lose ~ 1/year to another Area of Concentration; net is positive for us We always have students for Training Grant Slots (NS ; previously 17 years at Johns Hopkins) 70% of the students in the Program eligible to apply for Individual NRSA’s are successful at receiving an NRSA

Jul - Aug | Sep – Dec | Jan | Feb – May | Jun Year 2 Summer rotation Neurosci Jnl Club Elective Thesis research Plan of study General examinationSubmit prospectus Year 1 Summer rotation 1 Cell-Mol & Devel Neuroscience 4 Logic of Modern Biol 4 Neurosci Jnl Club 1 Fall Rotation 1 Systems Neurosci 2 Neuroanatomy 2 Neurosci Jnl Club 1 Spring Rotation 1 Excitable membranes 3 or Adv.Mol.Neurobiol. 3 or Neurobiology of Disease 3 or Cell Biol 4 or Adv.Microscopy Responsible conduct 1 Current Res Topics

Jul - Aug | Sep – Dec | Jan | Feb – May | Jun Year 1 Summer rotation 1 Cell-Mol & Devel Neuroscience 4 Logic of Modern Biol 4 Neurosci Jnl Club 1 Fall Rotation 1 Systems Neurosci 2 Neuroanatomy 2 Neurosci Jnl Club 1 Spring Rotation 1 Excitable membranes 3 or Adv.Mol.Neurobiol. 3 or Neurobiology of Disease 3 or Cell Biol 4 or Adv.Microscopy Responsible conduct 1 Current Res Topics credits per semester Co-existing with generic program, being open to crossovers “bite-size” courses so far, no rigid core curriculum so we create “incomplete” students by postdoc placements, NRSA success, that is OK

Requirements: 7 credits in Neuroscience didactic (formal) courses [most are 3-4 credits; no specific courses] Neuroscience Journal Club (every Wednesday – passive, just attend – attendance important); present near end of first year, then every year (not in 7 credits) Lab Rotations (3 recommended and used to be required, now 2 with petition to drop third) nearly always, required course credits finished in first year (except for students from the Biomedical Science Program) pick a lab home by September of second year financed by school or training Grant or Dept for 2 years – still doing many degree requirements in 2 nd yr

Jul - Aug | Sep – Dec | Jan | Feb – May | Jun Year 2 Summer rotation Neurosci Jnl Club Elective Thesis research Plan of study General examinationSubmit prospectus Fall second year to February, creating thesis proposal 1 page outline in October to 3-5 member Committee revisions, 3 page outline by end December 10 page proposal written in 5 weeks ALONE  may ask other people questions but no editing!

Jul - Aug | Sep – Dec | Jan | Feb – May | Jun Year 2 Summer rotation Neurosci Jnl Club Elective Thesis research Plan of study General examinationSubmit prospectus Oral defense of proposal (general exam) in February – like “admission to candidacy” or “qualifying exam” Not infrequently, rewrite required, now with advisor’s input, representation of written or oral or both in early summer – this is where mentoring kicks in (and where the lack of “enough formal courses” is sometimes evident) Goal for eligible = to submit individual NRSA in August or latest December; success rate in 10 years about 70%

Systems and behavioral students are committed Neuroscience from the beginning – if they had to take more than a minimum of cell-molecular-biochem, they would never come to UConn Problem is finding homes for cellular-molecular- biochemical-pharmacological students Power of joint appts – notably in MMSB, CCAM, Cell Biol (also Psychiatry, Neurology but not relevant here) Goal is to find right home and right set of interests – students do work in Neuroscience labs as part of other programs and gradually get sucked into Neuroscience, often by our Research Seminar and Journal Clubs (each once/week 9-10 months) – no other program has those! Several go on in Neuroscience as postdocs when they never planned to do so – we claim credit for them

Where our graduates go next ? Post-doctoral positions: Harvard 3Duke 1 NIH 1Scripps 1 Vollum 1 Yale 3Johns Hopkins 1UCLA 1UCHC 2 Dual degree (MD-PhD or DMD-PhD) residencies: Johns Hopkins 1Yale 1 North Shore Univ 1 (Chief Res) UCHC 1 Masters: Biotech 1