Maximizing Training and Mentorship in Sex as a Biological Variable Research Across Different Brain-Body Disorders

Abstract

The Specialized Center of Research Excellence (SCORE) on sex differences at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has a long track record studying bidirectional interactions between different organs and the brain in health and disease with a strong focus on sex as a biological variable (SABV). While the initial focus was on brain-gut interactions in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), one of the most common disorders of gut-brain interaction, the scope of our Center's research has expanded to a range of different diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, alcohol use disorder, obesity, urological chronic pelvic pain syndrome, and vulvodynia. This expansion of research focused on the role of brain-body and brain-gut microbiome interactions in these various disorders, aligning well with the increasing importance of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary team science. The SCORE's Career Enhancement Core (CEC) has modeled team science as applied to SABV research, with educational and training opportunities, a mentoring program, seed grant funding, and other career development experiences that enable mentees to work across the disciplines involved in brain body research. The CEC goals are: (1) To provide seed grant funds for innovative research relevant to the overall SCORE mission and research program; (2) to recruit and foster the career development of students, trainees, and junior investigators who conduct research focused on sex differences or women's health in IBS and chronic constipation and other brain-gut disorders; (3) to facilitate and promote collaboration between the UCLA SCORE and other academic programs involved in women's health education and research; and (4) to promote the importance of SABV through community outreach using collaborative and innovative approaches. These goals focus on establishing the leading research center in sex differences in basic, translational, and clinical aspects of brain-body interactions and on providing women and underrepresented individuals with research opportunities needed to become independent investigators.

Keywords: brain-gut; irritable bowel syndrome; mentorship; microbiome; sex differences.

FIG. 1.

The integral role of the CEC within the UCLA BGM SCORE. BGM, brain-gut microbiome; CEC, Career Enhancement Core; SCORE, Specialized Center of Research Excellence; UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles.

FIG. 2.

Multidisciplinary mentorship framework utilized by the UCLA BGM SCORE on sex differences in brain-gut interactions in irritable bowel syndrome, which provides the inputs, outputs, and outcomes. This framework was modified from the logic mentorship model.

FIG. 3.

Institute co-citation analysis. Analysis of publications in the Web of Science database (up to May 29, 2023) was conducted using the following search parameters: “brain” (Topic) and “microbiota” or microbiome or “gut” (Topic) and “sex differences or gender differences” (Title, Abstract, or Author Keywords). Review articles, editorials, case reports, and book chapters were excluded. To highlight collaborations, an institute co-citation analysis was performed and plotted in VosViewer (version 1.6.18; https://www.vosviewer.com) with the following settings: method, LinLog/modularity; attraction, 1; repulsion, −1. The size of the circle indicates the number of citations. Clusters representing highly collaborative institutes are color-coded. The extensive number of citations and collaborations of UCLA within the field of sex differences of the brain-gut microbiome axis is highlighted.