Advances in Physiology Education, Vol 269, Issue 6 61-S67, Copyright © 1995 by American Physiological Society
Starting a neuroscience research laboratory in a developing country: a Fulbright experience in Honduras
G. J. Quirk
Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York 10003-6621, USA.
The first laboratory of neurophysiology was installed in the medical school
of the University of Honduras during the 1992-1993 academic year. The goal
of the project was to improve the teaching of physiology in the medical
curriculum and to establish a neuroscience research laboratory able to
address Honduran needs. In addition to a computer learning facility and wet
labs in neurophysiology for medical students, an independent research
program that focused on social problems in the country (for example, the
effects of malnutrition on the developing central nervous system) was
developed, paving the way for the first graduate program in physiology in
Honduras. Funded by a Fulbright Lectureship Grant, the shoe-string budget
was augmented by donations of equipment by colleagues. This first-hand
account describes the planning and implementation of the project, covering
both expected and unexpected problems and successes. An update on the
progress of the lab after two years of independent operation is also
described.
