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Brain Research Institute
The Brain Research Institute occupies the new Gonda (Goldschmied) Neuroscience and Genetics Research Center and is devoted to a broad spectrum of research programs investigating the nervous system at all levels. It is also a collegial association of more than 200 faculty, as well as their students and technical staff from 18 different departments on campus, united by their interest in problems of brain function and disease. The Institute promotes collaborations among its members by organizing interactive research programs, core facilities, lectures, conferences, and poster sessions. The Interdepartmental Ph.D. Program for Neuroscience is the educational arm of the BRI.

Ph.D PROGRAMS

The Interdepartmental Ph.D. Program for Neuroscience
This program offers graduate study with a large group of outstanding and distinguished faculty with expertise in all areas of neuroscience. Emphasis is placed on multi-level understanding of the nervous system, at the molecular, cellular, systems and behavioral levels. Many opportunities exist for collaborative research linking laboratories with complementary technical approaches. Students in this program may work with any of the approximately 150 neuroscience faculty at UCLA, irrespective of department affiliation.

ACCESS
UCLA ACCESS to Programs in the Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Life Sciences is a single, convenient gateway to eleven Ph.D. programs in life science at UCLA. Students admitted to this program begin graduate studies by taking a series of courses in the first year while they rotate in several faculty laboratories. At the end of the first year they choose a faculty mentor and enter the Ph.D. program appropriate to that mentor. ACCESS offers the student a highly flexible program and a huge range of opportunities for graduate research education in all areas of modern molecular, cellular and integrative biology.

AFFILIATED DEPARTMENTS

Human Genetics
The Department of Human Genetics serves as a focal point for campus-wide activities in genetics, and has faculty members also from nearby institutions such as Cedars Sinai Medical Center. Housed in the new Gonda Research Center on the UCLA campus, this 21st century facility houses multiple specialized core laboratories of sequencing and genotyping, array-technology, FISH techniques and bioinformatics. The program emphasizes molecular pathogenesis of human diseases, neurogenetics and behavioral genetics, and is active in experimental strategies for both monogenic and complex diseases. Genome analysis, gene mapping, positional cloning and functional genomics are key methods widely used.

Department of Neurobiology
The Department of Neurobiology is one of seven basic science departments in the UCLA School of Medicine. It conducts and guides basic biomedical research in the area of neurobiology. It has focused its intellectual activities on cellular, structural and systems / integrative neurobiology with the focus on basic nervous system function. Departmental faculty also participate widely in University undergraduate, graduate, and professional teaching programs and administration.

Reed Neurological Research Center
This seven-floor structure houses the Department of Neurology, and has laboratories for clinical and basic research in neurological diseases. The Department of Neurology and the Reed Neurological Research Center provide means for a coordinated basic science and clinical research approach to neurological disorders, patient care, and neurological education. The RNRC also houses the Division of Brain Mapping, which is committed to the study of human brain structure and function in health and disease.

Department of Physiological Science
In a recent survey conducted by the Conference Board of the Associated Research Councils, UCLA's physiology faculty was judged fourth best in the nation in terms of the quality of its faculty. The Department of Physiological Science emphasizes integrative physiology, which involves the use of multiples levesl of analysis (molecular, cellular, systems, and behavioral) to solve questions of functional biology. Particular strengths of the Department are in neural and muscular physiology, physiology of non-traditional model systems, and behavioral physiology.

Department of Physiology
In a recent survey conducted by the Conference Board of the Associated Research Councils, UCLA's physiology faculty was judged fourth best in the nation. The Department of Physiology offers graduate and postdoctoral research training. The major fields in which graduate students may pursue research include cellular physiology and biophysics, molecular physiology; and integrative physiology. The subdisciplines of these areas include cellular and molecular electrophysiology; membrane transport; cellular signal transduction; channel and transporter structure and function; muscle physiology; fundamental neurophysiology; neuromuscular physiology; and cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and reproductive physiology.

Gonda (Goldschmied) Neuroscience and Genetics Research Building
The largest individual gift in University of California history has led to the construction of this new center for neuroscience research. Completed in 1998, the building's architecture reflects UCLA's commitment to close interactions among neuroscientists, molecular biologists, and geneticists. The building is one manifestation of UCLA's major new investment in neuroscience research.

Mental Retardation Research Center
The Center houses laboratories and core facilities for training in basic and clinical research in brain development and neural function. Its scientific activities are diverse, and include fundamental studies on glial biology, demyelination, neural cell differentiation, molecular neurobiology, neurophysiology, neurogenetics, inherited metabolic diseases, neural repair, drug abuse, and self-injurious behavior. Faculty and students meet regularly at informal gatherings, such as half-day mini-retreats and an annual weekend retreat, to share results and discuss ongoing research. The core facilities provide services to assist faculty and students in research.

Neural Repair Program
The Training Program in Neural Repair fosters communication, education, and collaboration among 24 UCLA laboratories in the area of degenerative diseases of the nervous system. The group meets weekly to discuss basic research and its application to plasticity and repair of the damaged nervous system, and sponsors courses, symposia, and guest speakers.

Neuropsychiatric Institute
The Neuropsychiatric Institute is devoted to education, research, and patient care in psychiatry and related fields. The mission of the Institute is to acquire new knowledge about the factors affecting social, psychological, intellectual and neurological health; train professionals in mental health, mental retardation, and diseases of the nervous system within an interdisciplinary setting; and develop and utilize the most effective techniques for diagnosing and treating these disorders.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

The Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology (SBN)
This scientific society is committed to understanding interactions between behavior and neuroendocrine function with the goal of advancing understanding of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology. The Society promotes exchanges between investigators approaching this problem from diverse perspectives.