The Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience - Information Technology Services

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		James P. Shaffery, D.Phil. Information Technology Services, Director The University of Mississippi Medical Center Jackson, Mississippi Contact Dr. Shaffery
		Key Personnel: Donny Broome, LAN Administrator

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Information Technology Services Director

Dr. James P. Shaffery is Information Technology Services Director of the Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience. Dr. Shaffery completed his graduate studies with the Animal Behavior Research Group, in the Zoology Department at Oxford, England (1984). Part of his early graduate research on the biological function of sleep involved studies of sleep electrophysiology in free ranging birds. A post-doctoral NRSA award under Dr. Howard P. Roffwarg on the function of sleep in brain maturation in young kittens led to an NIH/NINDS-funded project to determine the neural mechanisms that allow the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep to contribute to brain development and maturation. In addition to his responsibilities as Information Technology Services Director, Dr. Shaffery has served as Chairperson of the Psychiatry Computer Committee. He has served on this committee since 1999, having been appointed during the University-wide effort to ensure Y2K compliance. He has also served on several ad hoc computer committees, including the UMC Information Systems Strategic Planning Committee. Dr. Shaffery has extensive experience with computer programming languages and has been involved with systems administration on mainframes as well as personal computers and workstations.

Goals

The CPN is comprised of several laboratories, not all of which are located in close proximity to each other. In addition to maintaining the visibility of the CPN in the research community, Information Technology Services provides a powerful database resource for CPN investigators and for collaborating laboratories outside of the center.

CPN investigators regularly collaborate with other psychiatric neuroscientists within the state of Mississippi, across the country, and around the world. Information Technology Services provides not only a means for this diverse group of scientists to communicate effectively and exchange information, it also facilitates secure data storage and exchange, electronic conferencing, interactive document markup capabilities, as well as providing protected access to a number of continuously updated databases.