(December 2020) Ever wanted to learn more about the neurotrauma research underway at The Miami Project? Now is your chance because The Miami Project is offering a Remote Exposure to Neurotrauma Research Program. This is a fully remote, “do at your own pace” version of our popular summer program, which was previously open to only a select group of undergraduate students. The course is now open to all – students, educators, and the general public. Anyone who is interested in strengthening their understanding of neurotrauma research, and the work being done at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, is invited to participate.
A primary goal of the Miami Project since its inception has been to increase the number of scientists focusing on Neurotrauma research. From its founding in 1985, the Miami Project has trained more than 500 post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and visiting scholars, with countless undergraduate students rotating through our laboratories. In 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting many aspects of our lives, our center was unable to host trainees in-person, due to social distancing guidelines imposed in our laboratories.
Because of restrictions to in-person research programs, The Miami Project instead hosted an 8-week, fully remote program to undergraduate students around the country. The focus area shifted each week to encompass the breadth of research being done at The Miami Project, which includes spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, pain caused by neurotrauma, advances in neuroengineering, and drug discovery. Of the program, Director of Education & Outreach, Katie Gant, Ph.D., says, “through this experience, we learned that we could deploy our program to over 50 undergraduate students around the country. We are now going to provide that same content to anyone who wants it – any time, any place. Students, educators, and the general public – anyone interested in neurotrauma research at The Miami Project – can access this program directly from our website. We hope that this will foster interest in neuroscience research, moving us forward in improving the lives of people living with neurological injuries and disease, and closer to, ultimately, curing paralysis.”
The fully remote, “do at your own pace” version of the program is now available, at no charge, on our website. We invite anyone who is interested in understanding more about neurotrauma research, and the work being done at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, is invited to participate. If you have any questions about this program, please contact Maria Chagoyen, Education Coordinator, at 305-243-7108 or mchagoyen@med.miami.edu.