For the first two years, students in the Neuroscience Track are required to take a series of courses that must be completed prior to submitting and defending a dissertation proposal. Once the proposal is successfully defended, students advance to candidacy and focus their effort on their thesis research. The first-year core courses provide a foundation in basic subjects, whereas the one second-year core course and other elective courses lead to specializations in distinct areas.

Year 1

Fall Semester

• NEUR 701: Introduction to Neuroscience I (5)
• NEUR 703: Quantitative Methods in Behavioral Science (2)
• NEUR 704: Seminars in Neuroscience (1)
• NEUR 705: Tutorial in Neuroscience (0)
• NEUR 706: Research (lab rotation) (0-9)
• GRAD 713: Scientific Professionalism/Scientific Integrity (1)
• Journal Club of choice (1)

Spring Semester

• NEUR 702: Introduction to Neuroscience II (4)
• NEUR 704: Seminars in Neuroscience (1)
• NEUR 705: Tutorial in Neuroscience (0)
• NEUR 706: Research (lab rotation) (0-9)
• GRAD 714: Scientific Professionalism/Scientific Integrity (1)
• GRAD 701: Introduction to Professional Development (1)
• Journal Club of choice (1)

Summer Semester

• NEUR 704: Seminars in Neuroscience (1)
• NEUR 706: Research (lab rotation) (0-9)

Year 2

Fall Semester

• Neuroscience elective(s)
• NEUR 771: Clinical Neuroscience (3)
• NEUR 704: Seminars in Neuroscience (1)
• NEUR 705: Tutorial in Neuroscience (0)
• NEUR 706: Research (0-9)
• Journal Club of choice (1)

Spring Semester

• Neuroscience elective(s)
• NEUR 704: Seminars in Neuroscience (1)
• NEUR 705: Tutorial in Neuroscience (0)
• NEUR 706: Research (0-9)
• Journal Club of choice (1)

Summer Semester

• NEUR 704: Seminars in Neuroscience (1)
• NEUR 706: Research (0-9)
• Preparation and defense of thesis proposal

Year 3+

Fall and Spring Semesters

• NEUR 704: Seminars in Neuroscience (1)
• NEUR 705: Tutorial in Neuroscience (0)
• NEUR 706: Research (0-9)
• Journal Club of choice (1)

Summer Semesters

• NEUR 704: Seminars in Neuroscience (1)
• NEUR 706: Research (0-9)

The Graduate School Bulletin includes further information about courses and degree requirements.

Specializations

Students are strongly encouraged to take  upper level courses (electives) during their second year. Descriptions of all the graduate courses within the Neuroscience Track can be found in the Course List.

Upper level courses are organized according to seven major themes: Behavioral Neuroscience, Cell and Molecular Neuroscience, Cognitive Neuroscience, Development and Aging, Sensory Neuroscience, Substance Abuse and Addiction, and Translational Neuroscience. In addition, note that there are several Special Topic Courses; these are designed so that focused readings and tutorials on other subjects can be arranged between individual students and faculty.

Students in the Neuroscience Track may customize their upper-course selection so that it complements their specific area of research. The following specializations have been followed by multiple students in the last few years. They illustrate our effort to match the available courses to the students’ research interests, and by no means represent an exhaustive list.

Development and Aging

Students interested in investigating the processes associated with development and aging of the nervous system may consider taking a specialized series of courses that focus on this major area of neuroscience. These courses explore and examine the following topics: molecular control of neural lineages and differentiation, progressive and regressive events in neural development, neural plasticity and regeneration, and the neurophysiology of memory, cognition and cognitive aging, from molecular and cellular/synaptic mechanisms to behavioral and imaging studies. There are many NIH-funded faculty members in the Neuroscience Track that participate in diverse and multidisciplinary investigations of development and aging of the nervous system. Students interested in this specialization have access to state-of-the art research, and the development courses provide an ideal complement to their practical training.

For more information on this specialization, please contact:

Michelle Nicole ( )

David Riddle ( )

Neuropharmacology

Students with an interest in the pathophysiology and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, like addiction, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease, may be interested in joining the Neuropharmacology specialization within the Neuroscience Track. This program offers students an opportunity to receive advanced coursework and research training in the diverse, multidisciplinary field of Neuropharmacology. Over 25 faculty and 15 students currently participate in the Neuropharmacology specialization. Major research strengths include learning and memory, aging, and drug and alcohol addiction research. This specialization is currently supported by two NIH Centers (Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction Treatment, Translational Center for the Neurobehavioral Study of Alcohol) and two training grants (funded by NIAAA and NIDA) which provide stipend support for eight students each year. Neuropharmacology faculty have research programs that encompass a wide range of translational research techniques, from proteomic analysis of laser microdissected human, non-human primate, and rodent brain tissues, to integrated in vivo multi-unit electrophysiogical recording in awake behaving animals, to PET imaging in human cocaine addicts performing cognitive tasks.

For more information on this program, please contact course co-directors:

Sara Jones ( )

 Jeff Weiner ( )

Sensory Systems

Students with a particular interest in sensory systems (e.g., vision, audition, somatosensation, pain, multisensory integration) may opt to join the Sensory Systems area of specialization within the Neuroscience Track. Students that choose this area of emphasis will be offered advanced coursework providing a comprehensive treatment of each individual sensory system as well as a strong foundation in the rapidly growing discipline of multisensory integration. Along with specialized course material, students may choose laboratory rotations from among more than a dozen faculty members within the Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy. The Sensory Systems group comprises a highly collaborative faculty that exposes students to a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the most current issues in sensory neuroscience.  Faculty interests range from basic (e.g., peripheral mechanisms of auditory sensation) to translational (e.g., multisensory neurorehabilitation) on topics ranging from perceptual decision-making to working memory. Along the way, participating students will be exposed to a broad scope of the most current methodologies and experimental approaches (e.g., computational modeling, multi-channel electrophysiological recording, functional imaging, optogenetics) as applied to animal models ranging from rodents to nonhuman primates.

For more information on the Sensory Systems specialization, please contact:

Emilio Salinas ( )

Terrence Stanford ( )

Translational Neuroscience

The vast majority of investigators in the Neuroscience Track participate in research projects, funded either by the NIH or private foundations, that are developed with the specific goal of enhancing our understanding of diseases and pathology of the nervous system. Such projects are based on modern, state-of-the-art techniques and cover a variety of applications, including, among others, peripheral nerve injury, neuronal plasticity following injury and disease in the central nervous system, psychiatric disorders, epilepsy, motor neuron diseases, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and the development of neuronal and glial stem cells that may be used as therapeutic agents. Advanced courses in Clinical Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine are available for studying how research in such areas can be translated into specific treatments.

For more information on this specialization, please contact the course directors:

Carol Milligan ( )