Trainees attend specific courses to enhance their capabilities. Courses are selected by trainees, mentors and the Program Director and timed to be maximally useful to the trainee. The FAES statistical courses given at NIH have proven very useful. These seminars have proven to be very successful and have prompted lengthy discussions. This noon hour conference, participated in by all MPRC trainees and faculty, is based on an individual's presentation of a journal article which has been pre-circulated to the group.
Mentors aid trainees in preparation of their presentation.
The articles are primarily about schizophrenia research. A critical discussion of the article follows. Trainees not only benefit from the content presented but also from critical scientific interaction among professional colleagues. Visiting Scientist Seminar Series Monthly during the academic year a clinical or basic neuroscientist who is carrying out work in an area of interest to MPRC is invited to give a one hour presentation, followed by a half hour question and answer period. Generally the neuroscientist spends the remainder of the day interacting with those faculty and trainees who are doing work in a similar area.