Quantitative analysis of the Neuroscience Graduate Studies Program at The Ohio State University: A follow-up on the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate

R. E. White, M. R. Detloff, E. L. Hoschouer, P. G. Popovich, D. M. McTigue, R. J. NelsonNeuroscience Graduate Studies Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210

Conclusions

AbstractThe Ohio State University (OSU) was one of 15 programs involved in evaluating the status of neuroscience graduate education in association with the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate (CID) in 2004. This initiative was an extensive self-evaluation process that used spatial representations to examine the scope and content of neuroscience at OSU and to compare our program to others in the CID and across the country. This analysis generated maps and graphs that summarized data collected on areas of research training of faculty and students, publication patterns, sources of funding, and departmental distribution. As a follow-up study on this initiative, the progression and evolution of our graduate program during the past three years have been examined. To represent these changes, current data will be compared to data collected in 2004 and presented in graphic form. To further characterize the efficacy and spectrum of the program, additional parameters, including career distribution of recent graduates, student presentations at national and international meetings, diversity of students and faculty, and student involvement in community outreach will be added to those already in place. This will allow us to further explore our program’s ability to mold neuroscientists with a wide breadth and depth of neuroscience knowledge in preparation for entrance into the scientific community.

MethodsNeuroscience Graduate Studies Program faculty and student rosters were examined for demographic information including: previous undergraduate institution, prior degrees, country/place of origin, research focus, publication record, and funding sources.

Neuroscience Graduate Studies Program students enrolled in 2004 and/or 2008 completed anonymous surveys to evaluate the breadth and depth of individual student’s training in his/her research focus.

NGSP Faculty Then & Now

67 Neuroscience Graduate Studies Program faculty in 2008, up 9% since 2004.

New faculty bring additional expertise in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience as well as the fields of Neurotrauma and Disease

19 faculty have a primary appointment in the Department of Neuroscience, while the remaining have primary appointments elsewhere with secondary appointments in Neuroscience.

2004 2008

In 2008, faculty members had a total of 169 publications.

Of those publications, 6 were in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (IF = 9.598), 5 were in the Journal of Neuroscience (IF = 7.490) and 2 were in Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (IF = 6.791).

NGSP Students Then & Now

There are currently 31 NGSP students, compared to 18 in 2004.

2004 2008

The majority of current NGSP students majored in a biological science topic.

We have several students both from states outside of Ohio and from other countries.

Students published a total of 15 publications in the past year.

One student published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science and one student published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Financial Support of StudentsFirst year students are funded (student tuition, stipend and fees) by the Neuroscience Graduate Studies Program while they focus on course work and laboratory rotations.

The students’ chosen advisor assumes financial responsibility at the end of the first year. Funds originate from the National Institute of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF) or from university start-up funds.

Select students received fellowships from the University to support their graduate schooling:

The Ohio State University First Year Fellowship Award

33% of 2008 1st year students

The Ohio State University Presidential Fellowship Award

OSU Alumni Grant for Research and Scholarship

Additional support was acquired from other national sources, including:

National Institute of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein Service Award (NRSA)

American Heart Association Pre-Doctoral Fellowship

Travel Awards to Attend National Meetings (n=8 in 2007-8)

Continued Use of CID Initiatives to develop stewards of neuroscience

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Due to the multifaceted lens of neuroscience today, NGSP students use multiple model systems to conduct their research projects including behavioral, anatomical, cellular , molecular and computational neuroscience.

Throughout the course of their graduate experience, NGSP students learn and integrate more than 10 research skills to answer their research questions, highlighting the breadth of Neuroscience research at Ohio State.

I. CORE CURRICULUM

Required Coursework

Neuroanatomy

Neurophysiology

Neuropharmacology

Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience

Behavioral Neuroscience

Research Ethics

Seminar Series

Topic specific student seminar

Weekly Deparmental series

Quarterly Hunt-Curtis Seminar

Elective Coursework

Computational Neuroscience

Developmental Neurobiology

Survey of Behavioral Neuroscience I, II, and III Neurobiology of Disease

Principles of Neuroimmunology

Molecular Genetics: Regulation of Gene Expression, DNA transactions

Pharmacology of Drug Receptor Interations

Cognitive Neuroscience

Statistics

III. OUTREACH & SERVICE

Departmental

Representative on NGSP Committee

Recruitment Planning Committee

Community

Neuroscience Education for Urban and Rural Outreach

Brain Awareness Week

State of Ohio Science Fair

University

Council of Graduate Students

University Senate

II. LABORATORY TRAINING

Required Training

Year 1: Quarterly Research Rotation

Year 2: Candidacy Examination

Grant writing exercise

Oral defense

Year 3+: Dissertation Research

Written Thesis

Oral Defense

Interdisciplinary Centers

Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Repair

Center for Molecular Neurobiology

Neurobiotechnology Center

Core Facilities

University Laboratory Animal Resources

Campus Microscopy Imaging Center

Small Animal Imaging Core

Neurobiotechnology Center

Behavioral Core Facility

Model Systems Used By NGSP Students

IV. CAREER TRAINING

Teaching Opportunities

Preparing Future Faculty

Faculty Development

Conferences for Great Teaching

Mentoring Undergraduate Students

The Ohio State University

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Teaching (TOAST)

College Teaching Series

Writing Proposals

Professional Grant Writing Workshop

Animal Protocol Writing Workshop

Career Connection

Presentations

Departmental:

Individual Department

NGSP Retreat & Symposia

Focus Group Presentations

University:

OSU Medical Center Research Day

Integrated Graduate Studies Research Day

Edward Hayes Research Forum

National:

Poster Presentations

Invited Lectures

V. PLACEMENT OF RECENT GRADUATES

1. In the past 4 years, the NGSP program has expanded the number of faculty members, primarily in the molecular and cellular research area.

2. The NGSP program continues to have a diverse population of students that span a variety of different research areas.

3. Both faculty members and graduate students publish in a variety of journals, including high-profile and subject-specific publications.

4. Faculty members provide adequate funding for their students, primarily from the NIH and other national organizations. In addition, several students are successful in receiving their own funding.

5. The core curriculum of the NGSP program includes courses relevant to modern neuroscience, electives that provide in-depth information on specific subjects, and seminars.

6. NGSP laboratory training includes a defined goal-oriented timeline, several core facilities that provide the necessary equipment to perform experiments, interdisciplinary centers that encourage interaction between graduate students in different programs and departments, and training in multiple model systems and research skills that allow students to answer important research questions.

7. The NGSP program provides outlets for neuroscience outreach and community service.

8. Both the NGSP program and the OSU graduate school aim to train graduate student for future careers by providing training in teaching, grant writing, and professional presentation.

9. Recent NGSP graduates hold both teaching and research-oriented post-doctoral positions.

Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank Keri Bantz, Greg Butcher, Leah Pyter, Mike Beattie, and Jacqueline Bresnahan.

Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Yale, Columbia and UCSF.

Since 2004, the NGSP has successfully graduated 19 students.

79% of graduates are post doctoral fellows at research one institutions including:

Harvard University, Yale University, Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, University of California at San Francisco.

16% of graduates are now assistant professors in neuroscience fields.

5% of recent graduates are attending medical school.

Placement of Recent Graduates

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