Leading the Advancement of Underrepresented Neuroscientists for Change

UC San Diego Leading the Advancement of Underrepresented Neuroscientists for Change (LAUNCH) program is only one of three national faculty programs sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). The goal of the program is to provide strong mentorship, professional development, and research training to improve the long-term success of early career faculty and transitioning postdoctoral scholars from groups underrepresented in the biomedical workforce, including women, persons with disabilities, underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities, and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. Participants will choose one of three research tracks to be mentored and trained: Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias; Cellular, Developmental and Molecular Neuroscience; Computational and Systems Neuroscience.

Participation in the LAUNCH Program requires a one-year commitment in program participation with the following timeline:

• Active participation in the Grant Writing Course: The course will start prior to the Summer Institute I with weekly assignments due in June 2023
• Attendance at the in-person Summer Institute I held in July 2023 in San Diego, CA
• Attendance at the in-person Mid-year Meeting in January 2024 in San Diego, CA
• Attendance at the in-person Summer Institute II in July 2024 in San Diego, CA
  

Principal Investigators (PIs): Drs. JoAnn Trejo and Vivian Reznik and; co-PIs, Drs. Mariana Cherner, Ronald Ellis, and Shelley Halpain.