Postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate training opportunities
- Mentoring Philosophy
Dr.
Taylor enjoys mentoring students and fellows in scientific research and career
development and is grateful to have had the opportunity to direct significant
research projects of over 70 trainees.
His mentoring plan combines the following training opportunities to promote
the personal and scientific growth of trainees and set them up for future success
as independent researchers:
Ø
Immersion in a research-intensive environment focused on
translational pain research
Ø
Development of strong oral and written communication skills
Ø
Acquisition of powerful experimental techniques
Ø Exposure to a rich educational environment
Ø Guidance for the development and achievement of long-term goals.
Past trainees
Dr.
Taylor has supervised the dissertation projects of 9 Ph.D. students, 6 of whom
have completed their training, and 4 of whom competed successfully for NIH F31
NRSAs (B. Solway, G. Corder, R. Griggs, and T. Nelson). PhD students typically
publish 3-5 first author manuscripts in strong journals as a result of their
work in the Taylor laboratory. Notable lab alumni include Dr. Greg Corder, the
lead author who collected about ¾ of the data described in our Science paper,
completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. G. Scherrer at Stanford
University, received an NIH K99/R00 career award, and now has a tenure-track
faculty position at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr.
Taylor has directed the research projects of 30 undergraduate, 17 Master’s, and
4 medical students, many of whom co-authored publications or won prestigious
research awards as a result of their work in the Taylor Lab. Many of these
students have gone on to PhD, MD, or MD/PhD programs after graduation.
Scientific Environment
In addition to the scientific resources available in the Taylor Lab, trainees will perform their research activities within the rich scientific environment of the Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research (PCPR). The PCPR is one of the strongest centers in the world for pre- and post-graduate training in pain research, as illustrated by links to the many courses, seminars, workshops, research presentations, and clinical shadowing opportunities as listed on its website (https://pcpr.pitt.edu/). The 14th floor Taylor laboratory is in space that is contiguous to that of six of the seven other core faculty members who make up the PCPR, promoting a collegial atmosphere in which researchers willingly share their expertise with others. The PCPR T32 training grant is currently funded by the NIH through 2023 and supports two predoctoral and two postdoctoral trainees per year. PCPR faculty have extensive experience in neurophysiology and optogenetic activation, in vivo imaging, mouse genetics, molecular and biochemical approaches, spinal cord anatomy and physiology, and a growing list of behavioral assays.
The
strong research program and resources in the Taylor Lab combined with PCPR
educational opportunities will provide trainees with a challenging yet
supportive environment to develop their ability to perform rigorous scientific
inquiry in the field of chronic pain research.
Individuals interested in research training opportunities in the
Taylor Lab are encouraged to contact Dr. Bradley Taylor via email at BKT@pitt.edu.