Summer Program in Neuroscience (SPIN)

The Summer Program in Neuroscience (SPIN) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) originated from a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site with support from the National Science Foundation. It is now jointly sponsored by the Department of Neurobiology, the Civitan International Research Center, the Intellectual Developmental Disabilities Research Center and the Comprehensive Neuroscience Center at UAB.

The primary goal of SPIN is to provide motivated undergraduates who have demonstrated excellent scientific aptitude with the opportunity to experience independent research in neurobiology. It is designed to increase student interest in graduate education leading to careers in biomedical research, especially for students with limited research opportunities. Under the supervision of a faculty member, students will have the opportunity to learn the basic skills necessary to contribute to a research effort. Students will participate in both the intellectual and practical parts of laboratory work. Students will receive training in the research methods applicable to their research plan, analyze their data, attend lab meetings and journal clubs, and create written and oral presentations of their results at a research forum at the end of the summer program (Summer Research Forum). 

Research in neuroscience at UAB uses a variety of tools to study the molecular, cellular and network bases of the structure and function of the nervous system, including molecular genetics, single cell patch- and voltage-clamp recording, high resolution imaging, confocal and electron microscopic and X-ray microanalysis, heterologous protein expression, high performance liquid chromatography neurochemistry, site-directed mutagenesis, in vivo electrophysiological analysis, biomedical engineering techniques, computer simulations and mathematical modeling. Research in the Department of Neurobiology also addresses major issues in neurological health and disease, including epilepsy, primary brain tumors (gliomas), addiction, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Alexander disease, brain/spinal cord injury, mental retardation/developmental disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, movement disorders, perceptual disorders, stroke, and learning and memory disorders.

Participating Faculty Mentors for 2013

SPIN program mentors come from several UAB departments associated with the neurosciences. Please follow the links below to the web sites of the participating faculty to learn about their research interests.l

Sweatt, Ph.D. J. David  Professor and Chair