ABOUT the UW Auditory Neuroscience
Training Grant
The Auditory Neuroscience Training Grant at the University of Washington is funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (of the National Institutes of Health) and supports a wide range of research topics, including neuroanatomy, development, genetics, cell and molecular biology, neuropharmacology, and electrophysiology of the peripheral and central auditory system as well as psychoacoustics, language perception and processing, and communication behavior. This training grant funds both graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.
Our faculty members are all affiliated with the Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center and represent several UW departments, including Biological Structure, Biology, Otolaryngology, Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics, Psychology, and Speech and Hearing Sciences.
PI & Director: David Perkel, Departments of Otolaryngology-HNS and Biology, perkel@uw.edu
Co-Director: Joseph Sisneros, Department of Psychology, sisneros@uw.edu
Executive Committee:
Dr. Olivia Bermingham-McDonogh, Depts of Biological Structure & Otolaryngology
Dr. Ione Fine, Department of Psychology
Dr. Adrian Lee, Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences
Dr. David Perkel, Departments of Otolaryngology-HNS and Biology
Dr. David Raible, Departments of Biological Structure and Biology
Dr. Joseph Sisneros, Department of Psychology
Dr. Jennifer Stone, Department of Otolaryngology-HNS
The University of Washington has a long-standing history of commitment to research in the areas of hearing, speech and language studies, and communication disorders. In addition, it has an outstanding interdisciplinary community of investigators in all of the subdisciplines of basic neuroscience. At the intersection of these communities is a diverse and highly productive group of investigators who study the fundamental neural mechanisms that underlie hearing and communication.
One important mission of the auditory neuroscience community at UW is to mentor the trainees who will carry on this line of research and advance our knowledge of the field in the future. The Auditory Neuroscience Training Program complements related training programs at UW in Otolaryngology and Speech and Hearing Sciences, and helps train the basic neuroscience researchers whose work will form the foundation for research in the clinical disciplines.
The experience provided through the Auditory Neuroscience Training Program emphasizes predoctoral training since this is the area in which strong support during the early stages of training is most crucial. Trainees have the opportunity to participate in active research programs in neuroanatomy, development, genetics, cell and molecular biology, neuropharmacology, and electrophysiology of the peripheral and central auditory system as well as psychoacoustics, language perception and processing, and communication behavior. Moreover, they are encouraged to combine research in more than one area through collaborative efforts. Program trainees are exposed to a wide range of research techniques, enabling them to conduct technologically and conceptually sophisticated programs of research. An important goal of the training program is to attract and train high-caliber minority researchers in auditory neuroscience.
Support for 5 graduate and 3 postdoctoral fellows is provided through an NIH Training Grant. This support includes a stipend, tuition (except student fees), a research supply allowance (which can be used to reimburse student fees), and some travel to meetings. Support is for a total of 24 consecutive months dependent on satisfactory progress. In addition, students are strongly encouraged to apply for individual funding through an NRSA fellowship.
Support on this grant is available to students enrolled in the Graduate School of the University of Washington. It is competitive, based on academic record, research proposal, and research potential as assessed by a faculty advisor. Students working on a problem in any aspect of auditory neuroscience may apply for funding through this grant.