# UAB Research Training Program in Neurobiology of Cognition and Cognitive Disorders

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2024 · $250,031

## Abstract

For 14+ years, UAB Heersink School of Medicine’s (HSOM) Neuroscientists have continuously refined our
T32 Training Program in Cognition & Cognitive Disorders (C&CD) to strengthen the program’s training of the
55 students under ≥ 43 Faculty from 15 departments. In this 3rd competitive renewal, we have revised &
revitalized our program with new offerings while maintaining our most successful program elements.
 As the burden of cognitive disorders expands, UAB HSOM continues to grow neuroscience faculty
in Cognition & Cognitive Disorders, to fortify under-represented minority (URM) pipeline programs for
future neuroscience Ph.D.s, and to expand our numbers of URM Neuroscience Ph.D. trainees. Thus, the need
for our Cognition and Cognitive Disorders T32 Training Program is greater than ever.
 Our C&CD T32 Program places our T32-supported Trainees at the forefront of modern neuroscience. Each
of our six T32-supported Trainees is supported for up to two years beginning in the 3rd yr, with the T32
supplementing education throughout their graduate training. Late summer begins with a cohesion-building,
3-week, hands-on, residential Introduction to Neuroscience at Alabama’s Dauphin Island Sea Lab on the
Gulf coast, developing a foundation. A 4-course core curriculum of Biochemistry, Genetics, Cell Biology, and
Core Concepts in Research: Critical Thinking & Error Analysis is taken in the Fall with all 1st year Ph.D.
students. This is followed by four required Neuroscience Courses in Spring. Research Ethics and Diseases
of the Nervous System Courses are required in the Summer. During their 2nd year, T32 Trainees also take
required T32 electives including Mechanisms of Memory and Clinical Evaluation of Cognitive Disorders.
Trainees are also required to take Biostatistics (using R programming), Neurobiology Seminar Series, 2
journal clubs/yr including C&CD or Neuroimaging, a Grant-writing Course, Art of Reproducible Science,
and Neuroscience Student Summer Seminars. Our new Works-in-Progress provides “elevator speech” and
hour-long speaking opportunities and repeated exposure to importance of quantitative approaches in
neuroscience, statistics, responsible conduct of research, and alternate career pathways. Lab research is
integrated throughout the program.
 Our goal is to foster the next generation of talented, diverse, independent scholars and leaders in the
Neurobiology of Cognition and Cognitive Disorders. Objectives of our Program include: (1) Provide a strong
foundation in molecular, cellular, and systems neuroscience of C&CD, (2) Thorough training in ethics, statistical
rigor, and quantitative literacy, (3) Training in translating fundamental research into future treatments for cognitive
disorders, (4) Preparation to employ multidisciplinary research approaches using next-gen tools and
technologies, (5) Preparation for diverse career pathways in STEM, (6) Provide exposure to clinical realities of
patients and their families challenged by cognitive disord...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10877688
- **Project number:** 5T32NS061788-17
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** Farah Dominique Lubin
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $250,031
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2008-07-01 → 2028-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10877688

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10877688, UAB Research Training Program in Neurobiology of Cognition and Cognitive Disorders (5T32NS061788-17). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10877688. Licensed CC0.

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