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Center Administration |
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RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORE
Aims:
Introduction: To provide focus to the aims of the Research Development Core, we emphasize activities that will promote the integration of the technologies offered by the Resource Cores to develop research in the cellular and molecular basis of senescence and death in selected systems. The Rochester Nathan Shock Cores are aimed at aiding in discovering genes associated with cell senescence and death, localizing gene products within organs and cells and then facilitating the definition of the functions of gene products through contributing to the creation of transfected cells and transduced animals. The proposed focus is accomplished by (1) recruitment to the Nathan Shock Center of new faculty with expertise in the cell and molecular biology of model systems who wish to apply their expertise to problems of aging (2) recruitment to the Nathan Shock Center of faculty with expertise in aging of a defined system or model organism who wish to extend their investigations to the cellular and molecular level. The Nathan Shock Center is a powerful tool for recruiting faculty to studies of the biology of aging. This is done through a variety of mechanisms including providing state-of-the-art facilities for such studies, providing partial salary support, and the availability of funds for pilot studies that will lead to significant NIH funding. The goal is to gather not only the best but also interactive individuals whose research strengths will be mutually supportive. Facilities and Services: The Research Development Core activities in support of our aims are: selection of pilot proposals of support, selection of Nathan Shock Scholars for partial salary support, mentoring of junior faculty, organizing an annual Nathan Shock Retreat, inviting visiting scholars as well as internal scholars to present as part of the Nathan Shock Seminar Series and providing tissue resources. These activities are designed to support the development of a high level of competence in a collegial, interactive and mutually supportive environment. Pilot Review Process: Three months prior to each funding period a request for pilot project applications is made. These requests are posted to the Nathan Shock Center Web page, conveyed by email to all university faculty and hardcopied to all chairs and center directors. Pilot grant review is conducted by a senior faculty Pilot Review Committee. Review criteria includes relevance to aging, effectiveness of Resource Core utilization, scientific merit, feasibility and potential for growth and extramural funding. Following review on the basis of overall merit, applications are ranked and the budget is examined for appropriateness. Additional emphasis is given to applications from assistant professors and other faculty new to aging research. Assessing Progress of Pilots: Pilot project grantees are invited to provide brief quarterly updates at the monthy Executive Committee meetings. If progress has been commensurate with expectation, the pilot continues as planned. In those cases where pilot projects have demonstrated less than expected progress it is incumbant on the Shock Center to make certain that Core Resource services have not been a contributing factor. If this is the case, Dr. Federoff and the particular Core Director will remedy the problem and the pilot investigator will be granted additional time to demonstrate progress. In cases in which little or no progress has been made without adequate justification, the Pilot Review Committee will be asked to meet with the grantee, review the situation and make a recommendation to the Program Director. Selection of Faculty for Support: Junior faculty are eligible to apply to become Nathan Shock Scholars. Eligible faculty come from within the Center for Aging and Developmental Biology, and from other Centers or Departments who have an interest in aging research. More senior faculty wishing to change research direction are also eligible. The selection process consist of the following sequence: 1) A widely publicized call for Nathan Shock Scholar proposals 2) Selected scholars chosen for funding by the Internal Advisory Committee 3) Chosen faculty are notified of their Nathan Shock Scholar award which includes salary support The Internal Advisory Committee selects among applicants on the basis of evidence of probable research productivity, commitment to research in the basic biology of aging, evidence of ability for critical thought and potential for growth and extramural funding. The evidence bearing on these qualities comes from letters of support, a research seminar and personal interviews. Typical Nathan Shock Scholar applicants will have a research expertise that may not have been in the biology of aging, but that the applicant wishes to bring to aging research. Examples of such expertise may include drosophila genetics or cellular immunity. Another type of applicant may be one who has been conducting aging research at the organ level (e.g. skeletal system) and now wishes to extend their studies into a more molecular/cell biological approach. The Research Development Core is designed to support the needs of both groups through individualized mentoring, through research advisory groups and through seminars. In other words, to foster a collegial intellectual envrionment that develops a common knowledge base in the basic biology of aging. This is accomplished by the annual Shock Retreat and the weekly Nathan Shock Seminar series which includes visiting scholars. Other Cores make major contributions to technical competence through their presence and training. Mentoring of Junior Faculty: The Reseach Development Core facilitates two levels of mentorship. The first requires that young faculty members meet with a committee comprised of senior faculty on a quarterly basis to present the salient components of a developing aging related project. The committee's function is to assist in the refinement of the nascent specific aims, preliminary data, experimental approach and other elements required of a compelling grant application. Progression from meeting to meeting is intended to result in a well fleshed-out proposal, a supportive and functional linkage between committee memebers and the junior faculty member. With some individuals, this process also result in collaborative studies, perhaps further enhancing research productivity. As junior facuty mature over a number of years within this process it is expected that this experience will form the basis of their own skill set in mentoring. The second level of mentorship is developed uniquely for each junior faculty member. Dr. Coleman, as director of the Research Development Core matches each junior faculty with aging interest with an appropriate individual mentor drawn from the pool of senior faculty. The intent is to identify a senior individual who will monitor progress more closely than quarterly, aid in solution of technical and administrative issues and provide general career development guidance. These latter will be informal and possibly impromptu meetings that might cover issues ranging from balancing teaching and research, navigating through the structure of the extramural granting agencies, advice on graduate student and post-doctoral guidance and preparing for the promotion process. More than one senior faculty member may serve in such a mentoring capacity as appropriate. Annual Nathan Shock Center Retreat: To provide a collegial, inellectual envionment for faculty development, the Research Development Core organizes an annual Nathan Shock Center Retreat. All Shock supported pilot investigators, Nathan Shock Scholars, Core Directors, Internal Advisory Board members, administrative staff and laboratory personnel involved in supported research projects meet for a day of coordinated activities. One part of the day is devoted to presentations on pilot projects. In addition to those recently funded and those just past funded we will in later years invite presentations from grantees that have successfully extended their research programs that had originated from a pilot. Nathan Shock Seminar Series: Visiting scholars as well as scholars from within the University of Rochester whose research interests center around the biology of aging are invited to make presentations as part of the Nathan Shock Seminar Series. Presentations currently scheduled are:
Tissue Resources: The Rochester Nathan Shock Center Cores provide unique resources for the anlysis of samples designed to test hypotheses related to aging. Frequently, aging research requires access to human or non-human aging samples. Investigators desiring such samples have access through a number of channels arranged by the Research Development Core. Through close interaction with the Geriatric Neurology and Psychiatry Clinic, investigators have access to several normally aging human populations as well as patients with age-related diseases. The Brain and Tissue Bank at the University of Rochester makes available to Nathan Shock Investigators banked brain tissue, blood and CSF from over 250 individuals covering an age range from mid 20s to over 100 years old. Through the Transgenic Mouse Core of the University of Rochester Medical Center and in collaboration with the Gene Expression Vector Core investigators have the ability to design gene constructs that may be applied to transgenic or knockout mice to examine issues in the biology of aging. The Gene Expression Core is also available to aid in the development of gene transfer reaents to generate transfected cells for aging research. |
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