Neural Control of Organ Degeneration and Regeneration (NeuralCODR) Training Program

About the Program

 

Neural Control of Organ Degeneration and Regeneration (NeuralCODR) is an NIH-funded, cutting-edge, and cross-disciplinary training program at the intersection of neurophysiology and organ engineering/modeling with a thoughtful integration of statistical methodology and experimental design.

Innovation with Impact

Seeded by the Paula and Rusty Walter Endowment, this two-year National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded post-doctoral training program (T32NS126115) brings together 29 regeneration biologists and neurophysiologists and 12 clinical researchers across multiple institutions with a rich history of research training, clinical modeling, and education. The training format is distinct from established physiology or molecular neuroscience training programs in several ways:

 

  1. Programs are strategically focused on the interface between regeneration/disease organ model systems and functional neuroanatomy and physiology. 
  2. Group problem identification is driven by a collaborative group of clinician researchers.
  3. Catalytic mechanisms exist for cross training and expertise development between research centers.

 

Further, the training structure emphasizes experiences in tissue and organ engineering laboratories in parallel with education in neuromodulation, translational theory, and practice.

 

Our Program Faculty
Philip J. Horner, PhD

Co-Director

 

Dr. Horner has a long-standing passion and commitment to graduate and postgraduate training. He has proven expertise in training graduate, postdoctoral, and clinical fellows in the basic biology of neural stem cells and plasticity to whole animal systems of disease modeling and preclinical translation. Many of his former students currently hold faculty positions or remain in research positions in private or public research institutions. He strongly supports the development of innovative training structures that drive collaborative research. For example, he co-founded Route28 Summits in Neurobiology which is a one-week intensive problem-solving workshop for trainees and early stage faculty (www.route28.org). Horner spearheaded the development of the NeuralCODR program. He also founded and directs the graduate-level Neural Control of Organ Degeneration and Regeneration course that is team taught annually in support of NeuralCODR.

 

Horner’s research laboratory focuses on the interaction between glial and neural cells following central nervous system challenge and aging; specifically: 1) mechanisms of adult stem cell‐derived lesion remodeling/repair, and 2) the role of gliogenesis and gliosis in neural degeneration and aging.

Mary "Cindy" Farach-Carson

Co-Director

 

As a professor of biochemistry & cell biology at Rice University, Dr. Farach-Carson provided scientific leadership and vision for the BioScience Research Collaborative and helped foster a climate of interdisciplinary and translational research and innovation. She became a strategic advisor for the Texas Medical Center, and rejoined the UTHealth School of Dentistry faculty as director of clinical and translational research and professor in the Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences.

 

Mary "Cindy" Farach-Carson’s laboratory explores bioengineering and organ modeling with a focus on the innervated salivary system. She has a long-standing history of leading development efforts within the Texas Medical Center and as the co-director of the Gulf Coast Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, she will cultivate educational opportunities for NeuralCODR trainees. In 2016, Farach-Carson received the Presidential Mentoring Award from Rice University, reflecting the contributions of her many trainees throughout the years who have gone on to successful careers in academia, industry, biotech, scientific writing, medicine, dentistry, and research funding agencies including the National Institutes of Health , private research foundations, and regulatory agencies including the United States Food and Drug Administration . Through her leadership roles, Farach-Carson seeks to strengthen NeuralCODR training opportunities and to increase the number of women and underrepresented groups in training cohorts.

NeuralCODR Faculty and Research Areas

Central Course

The NeuralCODR course is a centerpiece of the training program and it is offered every spring. It is a team-taught, graduate level course to promote new ideas and collaborations in the area of how the brain and peripheral organs communicate in disease. 3 speakers per class will be asked to give a brief, verbal introduction on the scope of their work without slides. This will be followed by a moderated conversation on a suggested topic with participant involvement to catalyze new research concepts and identify roadblocks to communication and progress. Student participants will be primed with literature suggested by the speakers and coached on discussion goals. 

 

 

The overall goals of the course are to:

  • Focus on the neural control of organ degeneration and regeneration.
  • Complement research in organ regeneration, stem cell biology and tissue engineering.
  • Address the knowledge gaps of how the nervous system influences organ development, disease evolution and organ degeneration.
  • Have a team-taught format with a clinical perspective on development and disease, and an introduction to specific organ system regeneration approaches.
  • Include diverse faculty from Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, University of Houston, and Houston Methodist Research Institute.

General Information:

  • REGISTRATION for the Spring 2024 offering of this course is now closed. Please check back for Spring 2025.
  • There is no cost to attend, but space is limited.
  • This course is not part of the NeuralCODR Fellow application process. See "How to Apply" tab for more information on how to become a Fellow.
  • For more information, please email us at CNR@houstonmethodist.org
 

Training at a Glance

NeuralCODR Core Components

The NeuralCODR training format distinctly includes an interdisciplinary triad mentorship team. It also provides access to much needed, but rarely obtained, hands-on clinical experience, mentorship, and clinical data and materials.


Eligibility and Application

The NeuralCODR program was designed to fill a critical gap in post-graduate training by providing postdoctoral fellows with the support and training opportunities that come almost standard in graduate education. Specifically, the NeuralCODR program emphasizes the need for:

  1. Increased interdisciplinary training opportunities
  2. Increased mentorship and oversight beyond the host Principal Investigator
  3. Reducing the training period and emphasizing career choices early, and
  4. Stimulating and providing resources for postdoctoral fellows to interact with their peers.

 

Eligibility Requirements to be a Fellow

  • United States citizen or permanent resident.
  • Postdoctoral candidates throughout the Texas Medical Center are eligible and encouraged to apply if their research is in line with the scope of the program.
  • Out of state candidates are also encouraged and welcome to apply.
  • Candidates do not need a current affiliation with listed training faculty. If selected, their respective mentors would be evaluated and considered to serve as a training faculty.
     

Program Summary

  • NeuralCODR postdoctoral fellows receive annual stipends based on NIH standards, reimbursement for health insurance, and a budget for conference and workshop travel.
  • NeuralCODR postdoctoral fellows are appointed for two years.

 

Application Requirements for Fellow Candidates

  • APPLICATIONS DUE JANUARY 15, 2025
  • Completed application form: Click here for application.
  • Specific Aims (1-page limit)
    • Project concepts should be developed in consultation with your proposed mentorship team. Example projects can be found here.
  • Letters of Support
    • Must include two letters of support; one must be from your proposed primary NeuralCODR faculty member.
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Please submit all of the above information to Gillian Hamilton, Senior Program Manager:

Program Contact


Gillian Hamilton, PhD
Senior Program Manager
Center for Neuroregeneration

6670 Bertner Avenue
Houston, TX 77030
Email: ghamilton@houstonmethodist.org

Our Fellows
Borna Sarker, PhD, 2024 NeuralCODR Fellow

Borna Sarker, PhD was selected as a 2024 NIH-funded postdoctoral fellow in the NeuralCODR postdoctoral training program. Her current project aims to investigate mechanisms that promote axon regeneration after neurotrauma, using the murine retina as an accessible model system to study contributions of intrinsic and extrinsic signaling to axon growth. Specifically, she is examining the innate immune response and the therapeutic potential of modulating glial-mediated neuroregenerative processes in the context of optic neuropathies. Dr. Sarker obtained her PhD from the University of Texas at San Antonio, where her research focused on examining the effects of pharmacological defibrinogenation on microglial activation, vascular damage, and visual acuity in the diabetic murine retina. As a NeuralCODR trainee, her mentorship team consists of Nicholas Tran, PhD (Nervous System & Peripheral Organ Disorders) and Robert Krencik, PhD (Neural Development & Tools). Dr. Sarker's project aims to leverage the insights from a combination of murine in vitro and in vivo models, complemented by human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived organoid culture systems, to identify cell-type specific therapies that have the potential to counteract neurodegeneration within and beyond the retina.


Dr. Sarker is sponsored through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under award number T32NS126115.

headshot of Kevin Ung
Kevin Ung, PhD, 2024 NeuralCODR Fellow

Kevin Ung, PhD was selected as a 2024 NIH-funded postdoctoral fellow in the NeuralCODR postdoctoral training program. Dr. Ung received his PhD in Developmental Biology from Baylor College of Medicine, with his previous research focusing on various roles of neuron-glia interactions in processing sensory information. His training is primarily in electrophysiology, genetic manipulation of model organisms, and real-time imaging of neuronal processes. As a NeuralCODR trainee, Dr Ung’s primary mentor is Jeffrey Yau, PhD (Neural Innervation & Organ Engineering), his secondary mentor is Caleb Kemere, PhD (Neural System & Peripheral Organ Disorders), and his clinical mentor is Dimitry Sayenko, MD, PhD. His current project aims to investigate the neurophysiological basis of bimanual touch and to investigate the role of intracortical microstimulation on network activity of bimanual sensory processing. Dr. Ung's research will provide a foundation for utilizing intracortical microstimulation as an intervention for restoring natural touch sensation.


Dr. Ung is is sponsored through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under award number T32NS126115.

Sailee Sham Lavekar, PhD, 2024, NeuralCODR Fellow

Sailee Sham Lavekar, PhD, was selected as a 2024 Walter fellow in our NeuralCODR postdoctoral training program. Her project aims to define human astrocyte reactivity to amyloid plaques within bioengineered neural organoids. She received her PhD in Vision Neuroscience from Purdue University, Indiana. As a NeuralCODR trainee, her primary mentor is Robert Krencik, PhD (Neural Development and Tools) and her secondary mentor is Matthew Rasband, PhD (Neural Development and Tools). Her project will utilize organoids to elucidate the etiology of Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Lavekar's project will delve deeper to understand how astrocyte reactivity can be harnessed to identify biomarkers and develop therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer’s disease.


Dr. Lavekar is sponsored through the generosity of Paula and Rusty Walter and Walter Oil & Gas Corp.

Upcoming Academic Events

Grand rounds, tumor boards, regularly scheduled series and case presentations are offered in multiple clinical disciplines and Houston Methodist locations.
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Ahmad Ibrahim, MD

Mar 31 @ 12PM

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Center for Neuroregeneration Visiting Lecture Series - Jeffrey Min-In Yau, PhD
Houston Methodist Hospital

Jeffrey Min-In Yau, PhD

Apr 01 @ 9AM

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Grand Rounds conducted in 2023
These educational events are held according to varying schedules by departments and divisions within the Houston Methodist Academic Institute

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