KSCIRC Neuroscience Cores
Program Director: Scott R. Whittemore, Ph.D.
The mission of each of the KSCIRC Neuroscience Cores is to support and enhance neuroscience research by assisting in research project development, reviewing research, molecular biology, tissue culture, surgical models, animal behavior, and imaging.
Core Fees
The KSCIRC Neuroscience Cores operate under a subsidized fee model for University personnel. Non-University users may contact the Project Coordinator or Core Directors for access to the cores. All external users payments for services will be to KSCIRC. If there are any questions regarding billing or fees, please contact Russell Howard.
KSCIRC Neuroscience Core Fees (University of Louisville users) (PDF)
KSCIRC Neuroscience Core Fees (External users) (PDF)
Project Pricing
As an alternative to the hourly pricing system, investigators may undertake projects with a single "Project" fee that will encompass all aspects of the given project as a single price, with a discount on the hourly rates.
Acknowledgement of Core usage
Scientists who have made use of the KSCIRC Neuroscience Core facilities should please acknowledge the core support in a format similar to the one suggested below for your publications or grant applications.
"This project utilized KSCIRC Neuroscience core facilities that are supported by the NIH/NCRR P30 RR031159 grant."
Core A - Project Development and Analysis
Core A functions to:
Learn More...- Administer and oversee the Core facilities. This includes scheduling and documenting Core-related meetings, all Core-related space and Physical Plant, and personnel issues.
- Biostatistical assistance and analysis including consultation on experimental design, adequately powering projected sample size requirements, determining the appropriate statistical procedures for analysis, assessment tests, and periodically, developing new testing procedures and establishing protocols for their implementation, and thorough documentation of all testing procedures.
- Grant and experimental design mentorship by senior KSCIRC faculty. Grants and experiments will be pre-reviewed by KSCIRC faculty.
- Overseeing pilot grants. Funding for up to 3 pilot project grants will be awarded each year of funding. The criteria for judging these awards will be based both on preference to unfunded PIs and innovation/perceived benefit to SCI research. These awards will be potentially renewable, but such a grant will have to compete with the entire pool of applicants.
Core B - Surgery & Animal Care
Core B functions to:
Learn More...
- provide standardized rat and mouse surgery and other animal procedures
- provide extensive training for research personnel on surgical procedures, anesthesia, animal pre- and post-op care and the use of the three different spinal cord injury devices present in the Core
- assist laboratories to develop and establish novel surgical procedures
Core C - Behavioral and Electrophysiological Assessment
Core C functions to:
Learn More...- provide a knowledge base and expertise to facilitate standardized behavioral and electrophysiological assessments of rats and mice.
- train COBRE/KSCIRC PIs to perform high quality behavioral and electrophysiological assessments
- assist with the development of novel behavioral and electrophysiological assessment techniques.
Core D - Cell and Tissue Imaging and Histology (CTIH)
Core D functions to:
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- to provide consultation prior to histological tissue and cell preparation to ensure appropriate and sensitive detection of desired neurobiological endpoints that will provide accurate images for analysis
- oversee and assist investigators in microscopic imaging of these readouts
- provide consultation on appropriate analyses of captured readouts.
- develop novel microscopy-based endpoint measures of the pathobiology of CNS trauma, as well as the evaluation of the efficacy of putative therapeutics.
Core E - Human Translational Studies
Core E functions to:
- to be an innovative resource that will provide expertise for physiological and behavioral assessments of humans after spinal cord injury (SCI)
- to globally expand the utilization of standardized activity-based training of humans with SCI
- to support the development and implementation of unique approaches to understand plasticity in human SCI
- to provide an integrated environment for KSCIRC/COBRE basic scientists to interact with SCI patients and clinical scientists to increase clinical relevance of current and future experimental models of SCI
Learn More...
P30 Pilot Grants
To enable UofL investigators to take full advantage of the cores, a pilot grant program has been funded as a part of RR031159. The goal of the Pilot Grant Program is to encourage new research programs in the neurotrauma field and facilitate acquisition of preliminary data for subsequent extramural funding. The pilot program is directed to UofL Principal Investigators from outside the KSCIRC but KSCIRC PIs may participate as co-Investigators. The focus of the RFA can include, but is not limited to:
(i) new technologies to monitor neurotrauma (pathology/physiology/behavioral outcomes),
(ii) new hypotheses on the pathogenesis of neurotrauma,
(iii) new therapies/approaches for neurotrauma/neurorepair/neurorehabilitation,
(iv) new technologies to deliver genes/drugs to cellular targets that are relevant for neurotrauma pathology/neurorepair,
(v) new assistive technologies directed to neurotrauma patients.
Neuroscience Grand Rounds 35
KSCIRC Spring Newsletter
