Grad Profiles - University of Utah Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience

Overview
Founded in 1850, the University of Utah is the oldest state university west of the Missouri River. A vigorous institution with a teaching faculty of more than 1,500 and an adjunct, research, and clinical faculty of 1,800, it is a comprehensive of Medicine, Law, Education, Business, Mines and Mineral Industries, Science, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Science, Health, Fine Arts, Engineering, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Social Work in addition to the Graduate School. Among its many academic assets are an excellent library and an outstanding computer center.

The Community
Salt Lake City, with a metropolitan population of more than 800,000 residents, is the cultural and economic center of the intermountain region. Salt Lake City was the chosen host of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. The Utah Symphony, Ballet West, and Repertory Dance Theatre are internationally known. For sports entertainment, Salt Lake supports the Utah Jazz as well as the Utah Grizzlies hockey team and Salt Lake Buzz baseball. The "Crossroads of the West," Salt Lake City is only a day's drive from a number of national parks, including Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Mesa Verde, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Canyonlands. The University is located at the base of the Wasatch Mountains. Within 15 miles of the campus are peaks that rise above 11,000 feet and provide the finest in year-round recreational opportunities, such as good fishing, hunting, mountain climbing, golfing, and some of the best skiing in the world.

Programs of study and degree requirements
The Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience at the University of Utah provides a rounded and thorough neuroscience education, which will prepare a student for a successful career in any area of neurobiology. The Program draws on more than 70 faculty members who are involved with neuroscience research and teaching; fourteen departments in the School of Medicine and the Colleges of Engineering, Pharmacy, Science, and Social and Behavioral Science are represented. The program offers a course of study leading to the Ph.D. in neuroscience, participates in the School of Medicine's M.D./Ph.D. program, and provides opportunities for postdoctoral training. Training is offered in neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, developmental neurobiology, behavioral neuroscience, and biochemical and pharmacological aspects of neurobiology.

The program of study for the Ph.D. begins with a required core of basic science courses, including neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and systems in neuroscience. A second level of formal course work relating to the student's area of specialization and dissertation research is planned on an individual basis, and, if a student wishes, the doctoral degree can be taken with emphasis in one of the basic disciplines.

Since both interaction among members of the program and multidisciplinary training are primary goals, students are expected to participate throughout their training in several neuroscience seminar programs. They gain familiarity with problems and techniques through research apprenticeships in at least three laboratories early in their training. A supervisory committee composed of several faculty members meets regularly with the student to plan his or her training.

Facilities & Resources
The well-equipped modern research laboratories of participating faculty members are located in the Departments of Biology, Bioengineering, Human Genetics, Internal Medicine, Mathematics, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Physiology, Psychiatry, Psychology, and Radiology. The facilities and expertise necessary for applying most anatomical, behavioral, biochemical, and physiological techniques to study the nervous system are readily available. The proximity of strong research groups in cell biology, genetics, medicine, and molecular biology provides additional resources for neuroscience research.

Expenses and Aid
Tuition and fees for all supported students are waived.

Living and Housing Costs:
The cost of dormitory rooms for single students in the University residence halls ranges from $1700 to $2300 per academic year. Also available are double-room apartments for 2 single students (6 people sharing a bathroom, living room, and kitchen) for $2100 (including utilities) per academic year. A variety of optional meal plans are available through University Food Services. Rents for unfurnished University apartments range from $374 to $715 per month, including all utilities except a telephone. Off-campus housing is available near the University. Costs are subject to increase for 2002–03.

Support for graduate students is available from training and research grants, from University sources, and from teaching assistantships. The level of support is comparable to that at other major universities.

How to Apply/ Application
Inquiries and requests for application materials should be addressed to the program as indicated below. Application forms for admission will be supplied. Applicants are required to submit a completed application form, transcripts of their undergraduate record, GRE scores (scores on the verbal, quantitative, and analytical portions of the General Test), three letters of recommendation, and a statement of career interests. Applications are due by January 15 for entrance the following September, but earlier submission is encouraged. Final decisions on admission are normally made following personal interviews with prospective students, arranged at the program's expense.

Who to Contact
Program in Neuroscience
University of Utah
20 North 1900 East, 401 MREB
Salt Lake City, Utah 84132-3401
Telephone: 801-581-4820
E-mail: tracy.marble@hsc.utah.edu
http://neuroscience.med.utah.edu

THE FACULTY AND THEIR RESEARCH

Neurobiology of Disease

Wolfgang Baehr, Professor of Ophthalmology; Ph.D., Heidelberg, 1967. Phototransduction and retinal disease.
Byron D. Bair, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Psychiatry; M.D., Utah, 1986. Disruptive behaviors in geriatric populations and impact on health.
Kevin M. Flanigan, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Pathology, and Human Genetics; M.D., Rush, 1990. Genetic and molecular characterization of inherited neurological diseases.
Robert S. Fujinami, Professor of Neurology; Ph.D., Northwestern, 1977. Neurovirology.
Daniel W. Fults, Professor of Neurosurgery; M.D., Texas at Austin, 1979. Genetic abnormalities that cause the human brain tumor, astrocytoma.
John E. Greenlee, Professor of Neurology; M.D., Rochester, 1969. Remote effects of cancer on the nervous system; viral infections of the nervous system.
Randy L. Jensen, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery; M.D., University of Utah, 1991, Ph.D., Loyola University, 1998. Neuro Oncology. Hypoxia and angiogenesis in brain tumors, Calcium channel antagonist mediated growth inhibition of brain tumors.
Rajendra Kumar-Singh, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Human Genetics; Ph.D., Dublin (Ireland), 1993. Gene therapy vectors and their application to the treatment of inherited diseases of the CNS.
Janet E. Lainhart, Associate Professor of Psychiatry; M.D., Wayne State, 1979. Neurobiology of autism.
Marina Myles-Worsley, Research Associate Professor of Psychiatry; Ph.D., Utah, 1986. Neurobiological correlates of schizophrenia.
Richard H. Schmidt, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery; Ph.D., 1979, M.D., 1985 Iowa. Neurobiology of traumatic brain injury; mechanisms of impairment and recovery of learning and memory.
Patrick A. Tresco, Associate Professor of Bioengineering; Ph.D., Brown, 1991. Therapies for CNS degenerative disorders.
H. Steve White, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Ph.D., Utah, 1984. Neuropharmacology; anticonvulsant drug mechanisms; neuron-glia interactions.

Molecular Neuroscience

Brenda L. Bass, Professor of Biochemistry; Ph.D., Colorado, 1985. RNA binding proteins; RNA editing.
Jeanne Frederick, Research Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology; Ph.D., Wisconsin–Madison, 1979. Expression of mouse bipolar cell metabotropic glutamate receptor, mGluR6.
Erik M. Jorgensen, Associate Professor of Biology; Ph.D., Washington (Seattle), 1989. Genetic analysis of neurotransmission in C. elegans.
Suzanne Mansour, Assistant Professor of Human Genetics; Ph.D., Berkeley, 1985. Molecular genetics of inner ear development and function.
Andes Villu Maricq, Assistant Professor of Biology; Ph.D., Berkeley, 1987; M.D., California, San Francisco, 1990. Cell death and glutamatergic neurotransmission in C. elegans.
J. Michael McIntosh, Research Associate Professor of Biology and Associate Professor of Psychiatry; M.D., UCLA, 1987. Neurobiology of mental illness and other CNS diseases.
Shannon J. Odelberg, Research Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine; Ph.D., Virginia Commonwealth, 1987. Identification of genes the control limb, heart and spinal cord regeneration in newts.
Baldomero M. Olivera, Distinguished Professor of Biology; Ph.D., Caltech, 1966. Ion channels, membrane receptors, and sensory transduction.
Scott W. Rogers, Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy; Ph.D., Utah, 1986. Molecular biology and neurobiology of ligand-activated receptors.
Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy; Ph.D., Cincinnati, 1992. Molecular basis of metazoan regeneration.
Michael C. Sanguinetti, Professor of Physiology; Ph.D., University of California, davis, 1982. Ionic basis of cardiac excitability; mechanisms of ion channel gating.
Qiang Wu, Assistant Professor of Human Genetics; Ph.D., SUNY at Stony Brook, 1998. Characterization of neural protocadherin in gene clusters in the brain.
Doju Yoshikami, Professor of Biology; Ph.D., Cornell, 1970. Cellular and molecular physiology of receptors, ion channels, synapses, and sensory transduction
Developmental Neuroscience
Michael Bastiani, Associate Professor of Biology; Ph.D., California, Davis, 1981. Development of neuronal connections.
Mario Capecchi, Distinguished Professor of Biology and Human Genetics; Ph.D., Harvard, 1967. Gene manipulation in mammalian and other eukaryotic cells.
Chi-Bin Chien, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy; Ph.D., Caltech, 1990. Axonal pathfinding in zebra fish mutants.
Maureen Condic, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Berkeley, 1989. Interactions of sensory neurons with extracellular matrix.
Richard Dorsky, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy; Ph.D., California, San Diego, 1996. Signaling pathways in zebrafish neural cell fate determination.
David J. Grunwald, Associate Professor of Human Genetics; Ph.D., Wisconsin–Madison, 1981. Tissue specification during zebrafish embryogenesis.
Edward Levine, Assistant Professor of Opthalmology; Ph.D., SUNY at Stony Brook, 1994. Mechanisms of growth control and differentiation in the mammalian retina.
Thomas N. Parks, George and Lorna Winder Professor of Neuroscience; Ph.D., Yale, 1978. Development of nerve cells; neurobiology of the auditory system.
Tatjana Piotrowski, Research Assistant Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy; Ph.D., Max Planck Institute (Germany), 1988. Genetic analysis of the development of the sensory lateral line system in zebrafish.
Gary Schoenwolf, Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy; Ph.D., Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1977. Pattern formation during embryogenesis of vertabrates.
Sheryl A. Scott, Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy; Ph.D., Yale, 1976. Development of sensory neurons.
Monica L. Vetter, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy; Ph.D., California, San Francisco, 1994. Developmental neurogenetics.

Cellular Neuroscience

John F. Ash, Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy; Ph.D., Stanford, 1974. Molecular physiology of membrane transport.
Bruce Bamber, Research Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Ph.D., Washington (Seattle), 1994. Study of the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter in the human brain, g-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which functions mainly through the GABAA receptor (a ligand-gated chloride channel).
Gregory A. Clark, Associate Professor of Bioengineering; Ph.D., California, Irvine, 1982. Electrophysical and computational analyses of neuronal plasticity in simple systems (Aplysia and Hermissenda).
Carlos Eyzaguirre, Professor of Physiology; M.D., Chile, 1947. Sensory receptors; regulation of respiration.
Salvatore J. Fidone, Professor of Physiology; Ph.D., SUNY Upstate Medical Center, 1967. Biology of mammalian chemoreceptors.
Annette E. Fleckenstein, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Ph.D., Michigan, 1994. Neuropharmacology, neurochemistry, and aminergic transporters.
Eric M. Lasater, Professor of Ophthalmology; Ph.D., Texas Medical Branch, 1980. Retinal neurophysiology; biophysics and neuropharmacology.
Mary T. Lucero, Associate Professor of Physiology; Ph.D., California, Davis, 1989. Mechanisms of olfactory sensitivity modulation; neural development and regeneration; patch clamp and confocal microscopy.
Robert E. Marc, Professor of Ophthalmology; Ph.D., Texas–Houston Health Science Center, 1975. Localization and identification of retinal neurotransmitters.
William C. Michel, Associate Professor of Physiology; Ph.D., California, Santa Barbara, 1985. Olfactory and gustatory physiology.
Karen S. Wilcox, Research Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Ph.D., Pennsylvania, 1993. Electrophysiological mechanisms of action of novel anticonvulsant drugs.

Brain and Behavior