Starting a neuroscience research laboratory in a developing country: a Fulbright experience in Honduras

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.