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The objective of the Pennington Biomedical Research
Center Postdoctoral Research Training Program is to train Ph.D. postdoctoral
fellows to become productive research scientists capable of establishing
scientific careers that further the efforts of the NIH to understand the
complex interactions between genetic, molecular, physiological and behavioral
aspects of obesity.
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Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Division of Education, Director
Behavioral Medicine Laboratory, Chief
Professor
Director of Training
Phone: (225) 763-3046
Fax: (225) 763-3045
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A specific aim of the BRC is to expand the critical mass of investigators
addressing botanical research by identifying, recruiting and mentoring
promising young investigators. The objective of this program is to train both
M.D. and Ph.D. postdoctoral fellows to become productive research scientists
capable of establishing scientific careers that further the efforts to
understand the role of botanicals on the complex interactions between genetic,
molecular and physiological aspects of the metabolic syndrome.
Individuals who may be well versed in plant discovery and identification may
need to have their approach complemented by molecular, genetic and physiologic
approaches. We aim to bridge the divide between the plant
discovery/characterization approach and the molecular biology/physiological
approach by providing training in these areas and by selecting research
projects for the postdoctoral fellows that are particularly appropriate to this
approach and that address the overall theme of our center.
Each postdoctoral fellow will be encouraged to develop these transdisciplinary
research efforts to understand the effect and action of botanicals on
components of the metabolic syndrome. The program will take advantage of the
cutting-edge technologies and the wide range of research efforts related to
metabolic syndrome that are available at the Pennington Center, while having
access to expertise in botanical research and novel botanical compounds as
available through the Botanical Core in collaboration with the Biotech Center
at Rutgers.
This broad-based, training program will enable trainees to establish successful
research careers in academia, academic medicine, governmental agencies and in
the private sector in the study of botanicals and metabolic disease. The
scientists of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, LSU Ag Center and the
Biotech Center at Rutgers, as part of their collaboration for this BRC, are
committed to training in research and see this as inseparable from their goal
of excellence in botanical research.
Pennington scientists realize the value of postdoctoral trainees to our
research mission and they acknowledge their desire to participate in the
training of postdoctoral researchers. In 2001, PBRC instituted centralized
training programs for postdoctoral trainees designed to assure their exposure
to specific research skills and to promote collaboration and camaraderie among
postdocs and faculty.
We have established accredited coursework in nutrition at LSU taught by our
faculty and designed specifically for high level predoctoral and postdoctoral
trainees. The faculty committed themselves and the Center to the enhancement of
postdoctoral training by setting goals of establishing more postdoctoral
training positions and a more systematic training program. To assure progress,
the Executive Director established a new administrative division, Division of
Education, whose mission includes coordinating educational programs, resources,
and activities for postdoctoral trainees.
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