Recovery of Function
Graduate Program and Goals
The goal of the Recovery
of Function program is to prepare graduate students and postdocs to
conduct integrative research on the loss and recovery function following
neural injury and neurodegenerative diseases. The program enrolls approximately
30 graduate students and offers numerous opportunities for student collaboration
with faculty. The student-faculty ratio is approximately 2:1, which
allows individualized attention to develop research and scholarly skills.
Research Emphases
The Recovery of Function
faculty is engaged in integrative research programs that span behavioral
and cellular levels of analysis. Recognized both nationally and internationally,
faculty members have received numerous awards for research and teaching.
Collectively, the faculty hold over seven million dollars in research
grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Mental
Health, and other federal and/or state agencies.
Areas of Expertise:
Research interests of Recovery of Function faculty center on 4 areas:
- Neural
Injury:
Studies examine the
impact of selected neural injuries on behavioral, cognitive, and neural
function. Jim Grau and Rajesh Miranda are examining plasticity within
the spinal cord and the recovery of function after spinal cord injury.
Their research has shown that exposure to an uncontrollable nociceptive
stimulus inhibits plasticity, induces cell death within the spinal
cord, and impairs the recovery of function after injury. Mark Packard
and Barry Setlow use electrolytic and neurochemical manipulations
to explore the function of discrete brain regions.
- Neuroimmunology:
Research in this area explores the interaction between environmental/psychological
stressors and immune function, an area known as psychoneuroimmunology.
Using a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), Jane Welsh, Mary Meagher,
Raph Storts, and Tom Welsh have shown that restraint stress, social
stress, and early life stressors (e.g., maternal separation) can dramatically
alter behavioral, histological, and immunological manifestations of
acute and chronic Theiler’s virus infection.
- Neurodegenerative
Disease: Studies
on neurodegenerative disease examine the neuobiological mechanisms
that contribute to the loss of function associated with multiple sclerosis,
Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's disease. Farida Sohrabji is examining
the role of estrogen in affecting a rodent model of Alzheimer's disease
and CNS injury/inflammation. Jane Welsh and Fuller Bazer have also
demonstrated therapeutic effects of interferon-tau administration
on disease course using a rodent model of MS, Theiler's virus-induced
demyelination.
- Neural
Plasticity and Aging:
Studies on aging examine the cellular mechanisms that contribute to
the decline in behavioral/cognitive function. Jennifer Bizon is examining
age-related changes in neurogenesis and learning and memory. She has
recently shown an increase in neurogenesis in association with greater
cognitive decline in a rodent model of "normal" aging. William
Griffith is studying the biophysical properties of ligand gated and
voltage-gated channels of basal forebrain choilinergic neurons during
aging. Single-cell gene expression, cognitive status of the animal
and intracellular calcium homeostasis are also being investigated
in his rodent model of aging.
Recovery
of Function Seminar Series: The Recovery of Function Program,
through the support of the Life Sciences Task Force, Behavioral and
Cellular Neuroscience program (College of Liberal Arts), and Faculty
of Neuroscience, sponsors invited colloquia by internationally recognized
researchers within the area.
Click
here for a listing of past Recovery of Function colloquia
speakers.
Click
here for a listing of our upcoming calendar of events
and seminar speakers.
Click
here for a listing of our Neuroscience Seminar speakers.
Curriculum: Course
curricula are individually tailored to meet each students training objectives.
A wide range of courses are available within the participating departments.
Other Interdisciplinary
Faculties: Graduate students may gain further valuable experience
by working with one of several interdisciplinary centers and institutes
on campus, including the:
Additional training opportunities
exist with faculty associated with institutes in Houston, Galveston,
and Dallas, including the:
Graduate Placement
Graduates have been placed
in challenging full-time positions in colleges and universities, medical
schools, and private and public organizations, such as the University
of Arizona, Kent State, University of Tulsa, UCLA, Columbia University.
Faculty members are heavily involved in the placement of graduate students.
Training
Success: Recent graduates of Recovery of Function faculty
have successfully competed for top post-doctoral positions and secured
positions at research-oriented universities.
Click
here for a list of past graduates and their current positions.
Click
here for a list of current predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees.
Recovery
of Function Application Process: Requests for additional
information can be forwarded to Mary W. Meagher (m-meagher@tamu.edu),
Program Chair for the Recovery of Function Training Program. Students
and post doctoral candidates may also contact participating faculty
and departments. To be eligible for training funds, students must indicate
an interest in an area relevant to the recovery of function and request
to work with one of the primary faculty.
Admission to the Recovery
of Function program is competitive. Students admitted to the program
typically have GRE (Verbal + Quantitative) scores of 1200 or above,
and GPAs of 3.50 or higher. The program does not accept applications
from individuals seeking a terminal master's degree. For additional
assistance, contact:
Dr. Mary Meagher
Department of Psychology
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843-4235
m-meagher@tamu.edu
(979) 845-2564
Graduate
Admissions at Texas A&M
Graduate
Admissions Information about application to the graduate
program at Texas A&M University is available at: http://www.tamu.edu/admissions/Grad/index.html
Financing Your Graduate
Education
All students admitted to
the Recovery of Function program receive a monthly salary from either
a graduate research or teaching assistantship, or a scholarship. The
salary associated with these positions is competitive and varies with
the type of award. Need-based financial aid and loans are also available
through the Department
of Student Financial Aid.
Diversity
The program is committed
to the goal of achieving diversity among the students admitted to its
Ph.D. program. Several faculty are members of the National Institute
of Mental Health Texas Behavior Neuroscience Consortium training grant,
which provides funding for graduate students and post-docs from under-represented
groups (i.e., Latino, African American, Native American). We strongly
encourage applications from women and members of ethnic minority groups
and other groups that are traditionally under-represented in graduate
studies.
Housing
Although limited on-campus
housing is available in University-owned apartments, most graduate students
live off-campus. There are many apartments, duplexes, condos, and rental
houses within a few minutes drive, bike ride, or walk from campus. The
University maintains an extensive shuttle bus system that links many
of the primary housing areas in the community to campus. The Off-Campus
Student Services office can help locate housing. For additional information
contact: Off-Campus Housing Center, Dept. of Student Affairs, Texas
A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-1257, (979) 845-1741;
http://studentlife.tamu.edu/ocss.
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