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Postdoctoral
Training
Postdoctoral
trainees will usually hold a
Ph.D. degree although a PharmD., D.V.M., D.D.S., or M.D. degree with
proper training will be considered appropriate. Postdoctoral
trainees will spend the majority of their time working on a specialized
research project related to drug abuse. Postdoctoral trainees are required to submit a proposed research
plan to the executive committee that includes a description of the
relevance of the research project to the field of drug abuse research.
These trainees will be encouraged to work collaboratively with other
members of the training program. Postdoctoral trainees will be required
to submit an individual NRSA after one to one and a half years in
residence (or sooner if warranted). During the grant writing process
they will work with their mentor (and co-advisor, if appropriate)
learning the elements of grant writing. They will learn how to develop
a hypothesis, design experiments that will test their hypothesis, and
consider alternative approaches. We consider this an important phase of
the training process that not only requires the trainee to think deeply
about their project, but to prepare them for the future where grant
proposal or progress report writing is likely to be an important part of
their career. In addition this training should lead to a more focused
laboratory experience. These trainees, in conjunction with their
mentor, will write research papers based on their studies, and will be
expected to publish them in respected peer reviewed journals.
In addition to
doing research, postdoctoral trainees will have the opportunity and be
encouraged to participate in any of the above described courses. They
will participate in journals clubs, including the neuropharmacology
journal club, and attend departmental and student seminar programs,
particularly the Behavioral and Neural Psychology seminar series, and
the Local Neuroscientists Interested in Drug Abuse dinner/speaker
series. The postdoctoral trainees present their work at the annual
symposium on drug abuse related research and help to host invited
speakers. Postdoctoral fellows also meet with seminar speakers and new
faculty candidates at lunch meetings where they discuss in a more
intimate atmosphere the research of the guest. Postdoctoral trainees
are required to participate in the course “Molecular Neurobiology of
Abused Drugs” as well as a course in scientific ethics (Ethics in
Scientific Research – TOX 600) and the continued training in ethical
scientific conduct, see below. Many of our postdoctoral trainees have
requested and have participated in teaching as this helps them to
prepare for their future careers and gives them an edge when applying
for positions. We encourage them to participate in didactic teaching
and will provide them the opportunity to do so. The postdoctoral
trainees will attend national and/or international meetings and be
encouraged to submit an abstract for a poster or oral presentation.
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