# Training in the Neurobiology of Aging and Alzheimer's Disease

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR · 2024 · $424,599

## Abstract

Abstract
With the “graying of America” we are faced with the need to address the ever-increasing
number of individuals in our society who have age-associated nervous system diseases and
conditions. By the year 2050, there will be up to 16 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease
and an even larger number with additional nervous system-related diseases attributed to aging.
To address this problem, we need multidisciplinary approaches to facilitate the discovery of the
mechanisms, treatments and prevention of these diseases. Active, integrated research-based
training of pre-doctoral students is a key to supplying the research personnel needed to address
these biomedical health care issues. The present application is a competing renewal of a very
successful interdisciplinary program of pre-doctoral training in the neurobiology of aging and
Alzheimer's Disease. This funding cycle we supported 31 full fellows, of whom 12 completed
their training and their Ph.D. The trainees were very productive and published 63 peer-reviewed
papers to date (with almost another full year remaining in this funding cycle of our T32); we also
trained 7 (of 31 = 23%, including the current year of funding) underrepresented students.
Importantly, we maintained our retention/graduation rate at 100%. The continuation of our
strong and successful predoctoral training program is proposed, as our three departments and
our Institute for Translational Research have grown and matured through the addition of faculty
and continued funding especially in Aging and Alzheimer's Disease. Such growth has facilitated
more basic, translational and clinical research into the causes, treatment and prevention of brain
aging and Alzheimer's Disease. Collectively, these new initiatives create a stimulating
environment for the training of predoctoral students. Unique and innovative features of the
training program for the next period of funding include: (1) Development of grant writing skills
through submission of F30/F31 proposals; (2) Continued emphasis on training
underrepresented groups ( 20% participation in the current cycle); (3) our Mentoring-the-Mentor
Program which trains junior faculty in mentoring trainees under the guidance of a senior faculty;
(4) Career counseling and networking development program, (5) Experiential learning with
geriatrics population and translational research skill labs; (6) our institutional support which is
proposed to expand those students who will have access to some or all of this training program;
and (7) our focus on the development of research excellence and leadership among our
trainees. Collectively, these attributes of our Neurobiology of Aging and Alzheimer's Disease
Training Program have produced outstanding trainees and we wish to continue these efforts.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10847919
- **Project number:** 2T32AG020494-21
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** ROBERT Clinton BARBER
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $424,599
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2002-05-01 → 2029-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10847919

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10847919, Training in the Neurobiology of Aging and Alzheimer's Disease (2T32AG020494-21). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-14 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10847919. Licensed CC0.

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