Mission

The goal of this postdoctoral training program is to train young scientists and promote careers focused on understanding and developing treatments for developmental brain disorders.   Multidisciplinary training is planned in scientific disciplines relevant to the study of neurodevelopmental disorders. 

The program training faculty is comprised of 18 individuals selected from five departments at Baylor College of Medicine.  The program faculty includes 3 MDs, 2 MD/PhDs and 13 PhDs.  Among these there are 11 Professors, 3 Associate Professors and 4 Assistant Professors.  There are currently 70 postdoctoral students training in laboratories of the faculty, comprised of 10 MD/PhDs, 10 MDs and 50 PhDs.

Dr. John Swann serves as the Training Program Director and will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the program.  Drs. Huda Zoghbi and Jeff Noebels serve as program co-directors. 

Major areas of training include the genetic and molecular basis of neurodevelopmental disorders, including, but not limited to:  Rett syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Fragile X syndrome and Autism.  Another concentrated area of training is in epilepsy where the molecular basis of the inherited as well as the acquired epilepsies are studied. 

All labs employ cutting-edge biotechnology to create and study relevant animal models of disease in order to not only understand the biological basis for these disorders but to screen potential new therapies that could lead to clinical trials and eventually enter clinical practice.  During the past funding cycle, ten post-doctoral students entered the training program and six are now faculty members at major universities. 

Three program training tracks are offered.  One is for MD/PhDs and MDs with substantial research experience.  Another is for less experienced MDs where training is more formal and includes laboratory rotations and graduate courses.  PhDs receive substantial training in clinical aspects of neurodevelopmental disorders through Dinner Discussions, clinical conferences and subspecialty clinics. 

Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital have committed substantial resources to the study of the neurobiology of disease.  This includes the recent creation of the Texas Children’s Neurological Research Institute, which promises to become a major center for post-doctoral training for generations to come.  By training outstanding research scientists, we feel new understandings and treatments for the devastating developmental disorders in infants and young children will emerge.