Peter R. MacLeish, Ph.D., Director

The mission of the Morehouse School of Medicine Neuroscience Institute (MSMNI) is to create a supportive and challenging environment for the investigation and teaching of the functional organization of the nervous system, and to seek ways to reduce suffering brought about by neurological disorders. Funding and administrative support were secured from the National Institutes of Health Office on Research for Minority Health and the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), respectively. The funds administered under a co-operative agreement between the NIH and the Morehouse School of Medicine, will support research on the development and function of the nervous system with the expectation that the investigators will establish their own independent research programs at the R01 level and that the knowledge gained will alleviate human suffering brought about by disorders of the nervous system.

MSMNI research areas cover a broad range of cellular and molecular neuroscience and include the molecular biology and physiology of circadian rhythm ( Tosini \ Fukuhara ), signal transduction and modulation in the basal ganglia ( Whittaker ), neurotoxicity associated with HIV infection ( Royal ), modulation of muscarinic ACh receptors by transient hypoxia (Jackson), neuroprotective effects of neuregulin (Ford), the effects of hormones and neuropeptides on aggressive behavior (Moore), and regeneration of CNS neurons and functional imaging at the cellular level (MacLeish). These investigators use a variety of experimental preparations including whole animals, the intact portions of the central nervous system, and simplified preparations, such as tissue slices and single cells, to study cellular activities and cell-cell communication under more controlled conditions. Further collaborations among MSMNI scientists and clinicians will identify areas of research that are mutually enhancing of existing MSMNI programs.

The MSMNI recognizes the importance of transmitting current research information to students. Members of the MSMNI are involved in teaching graduate students, medical students, and health care professionals. A Summer Undergraduate Research Program targeting college students are designed to provide early opportunities to explore biomedical research career options is offered.