(T32AG081185; PDs: Xiangmin Xu; Todd Holmes)
Overview
Program Administration
Goals of The Program
T32 Advisory Committee
Program Faculty
Mandatory Training
Overview of our program
Dementias from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and age-related cognitive impairments are a major health and socio- economic concern in the US and worldwide. AD remains resistant to treatment based on earlier research efforts. Approximately 20% of the US population will be 65 or older by year 2030; roughly 8 million of these individuals are expected to suffer from AD. The neural circuit aspects of AD are an emerging new research area with tremendous potential for growth and progress. The UC Irvine Center for Neural Circuit Mapping (CNCM) research program has quickly established strong federal funding that supports our transformational projects with significant clinical translational potential. The ongoing acceleration of our understanding of the nervous system drives the development of new therapeutic strategies to treat AD and other brain diseases over the next decades. Our CNCM research program has unified multidisciplinary investigators from multiple academic units across UC Irvine including the Schools of Medicine, Biological Sciences, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Engineering, and Information and Computer Science. Our T32 training program (CNCM-TP) is designed to train the next generation of researchers focused on neural circuit studies of brain disorders including AD and related dementias. The training program is administered by the CNCM and supported by CNCM investigators who have fostered a highly collaborative environment exemplifying interdisciplinary team-based research. Our exciting and diverse group of faculty members mentor and support predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees in neural circuit studies using a range of interdisciplinary approaches combining analysis of mouse genetic models and post-mortem human brain tissues with state-of-the-art technologies that include viral genetic mapping, in vivo neural ensemble recording/imaging, single-cell genomics, engineering and computational modeling. Our training plan is well defined; trainees are required to take courses and seminars related to cutting-edge neuroscience and AD research with a neural circuit focus. We anticipate four trainees per year (2 pre- and 2 postdocs) whose training continues until they complete their respective programs. We include training in rigor and reproducibility, statistics and data analysis training, and professional development. The expected outcome of our T32 program is to establish a successful training pipeline to prepare trainees with career-long experimental and quantitative skills as future research leaders who will focus on neural circuit analysis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Goals of Our CNCM Training Program (CNCM-TP)
The UC Irvine Center for Neural Circuit Mapping T32 Training Program prepares the next generation of basic science researchers and leaders with an emphasis on neural circuit analysis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Our program emphasizes training young scientists with the cutting-edge, collaborative and interdisciplinary research that will be required to identify new therapeutic targets and to develop innovative tools for treating Alzheimer disease and related dementias.
T32 Advisory Committee
The CNCM-TP Advisory Committee consists of six distinguished experts in neuroscience and brain disorders:
– Christine Gall (UCI)
– Marcelo Wood (UCI)
– Albert La Spada (UCI)
– Edward Callaway (Salk Institute)
– Liqun Luo (Stanford)
– Hongkui Zeng (Allen Institute)
The committee advises on trainee selection, mentor appointments, trainee progress, program administration, and budget oversight.
Program Faculty
The CNCM-TP is organized by the Center for Neural Circuit Mapping with a focus on Alzheimer’s disease and features minimal overlap with other T32 programs. Our interdisciplinary faculty includes experts in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, computer science, and statistics. We propose 30 faculty mentors across 15 departments and 6 schools at UCI. Selection criteria include scientific productivity, funding success and mentoring record. All mentors are committed to training, participating in workshops, journal clubs, and direct mentoring. Most oversee both graduate students and postdocs. Mentoring resources include UCI’s Mentoring Excellence Program, which offers structured training in communication, ethics, resilience, and mentoring across differences.
Mandatory Training
CNCM-TP trainees are required to participate in structured training activities designed to enhance research, professional development, and career readiness. These required components are described below and are central to the training program’s design.
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Topics in Neural Circuit Mapping Seminar is a quarterly course that introduces trainees to emerging techniques and findings in neural circuit research with a focus on Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It ensures all trainees are exposed to the latest developments in the field, regardless of their individual lab’s focus
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The CNCM-TP Discussion Forum is held monthly and covers a broad range of topics, including career development, research progress, alternative career paths, research ethics, and advances in neuroscience and AD. These twelve annual sessions are divided into three categories: four focused on faculty-trainee scientific discussions (where trainees present their work and receive feedback), four on professional development, and four on research integrity. No session topic is repeated within a two-year cycle.
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The CNCM-TP Annual Retreat brings together trainees, faculty mentors, and internal advisory committee members for a full day of scientific presentations, networking, and a hands-on workshop focused on a new research technique. Trainees present their work, attend a focused technical training session (e.g., on viral tools or single-cell genomics), and engage in informal discussion with faculty and peers to build community and collaborative thinking.
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The CNCM-TP Journal Club, held monthly, focuses on current publications in AD neuroscience. This activity sharpens trainees’ ability to analyze the literature, understand experimental design, and engage in scientific debate
In addition to these core activities, all trainees are required to develop and maintain an Individual Development Plan (IDP). Upon entry to the program, each trainee collaborates with their mentor to complete an IDP, which is reviewed and updated every six months. CNCM-TP Co-Directors host an annual IDP workshop that introduces tools for self-assessment, goal setting, and career exploration, including the use of the “MyIDP” platform.
Trainees are also required to prepare and submit an extramural fellowship application (e.g., NIH F31/F32 or NSF GRFP). To support this, all trainees enroll in Scientific Proposals for Neuroscience Trainees, a course taught by CNCM-TP faculty with NIH study section experience. The course guides trainees through the entire grant writing process. This course has a strong track record of success, with many trainees securing competitive fellowship funding.
Appointees
Lindsey Washiashi (Pre-Doctoral Researcher)
Nina Butkovich (Post-Doctoral Researcher)
Khanh Luong (Pre-Doctoral Researcher)