Overview
The Neuroscience Training Program and the Neuroscience Department were among the first neuroscience-focused academic centers established in the United States, dating back to 1980. Our faculty have trained over 250 PhD and MD/PhD students and 500 postdoctoral fellows in just the past ten years, partnerships that have led to fundamental discoveries in the organization of the cerebral cortex, neurotransmitter signaling, neuronal and glial cell development, and circuit function using a variety of approaches, including molecular biologic, biophysical, biochemical, neurophysiological, and anatomical strategies.
The goal of the Program is to ensure that our students obtain broad training in the neurosciences. Our curriculum spans the breadth of modern neuroscience, from molecular/cellular underpinnings to systems/cognitive integration, and offers a rich training experience that brings students to the forefront of research in their particular area of interest, in preparation for a rewarding, independent career in the sciences.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Neuroscience | ||
| ME.440.800 | Neuroscience Research | 1 - 18 |
| ME.440.801 | Readings in Neuroscience (Journal Club) | 1 |
| or ME.440.810 | Readings In Systems Neuroscience | |
| ME.440.802 | Current Topics in Neuroscience (Research Seminar) | 1 |
| or AS.080.630/631 | Bodian Seminar Series | |
| ME.440.811 | Neuroscience Cognition I | 4.5 |
| ME.440.812 | Neuroscience Cognition II | 4.5 |
| ME.440.819 | Rigor, Reproducibility, and Responsibility in Science | 2 |
| ME.440.820 | Circuits and Brain Disorders | 2 |
| ME.440.724 | Neuroscience Career Skills | 1 |
| ME.440.823 | Grant Writing Skills | 1 |
| ME.440.730 | Submitting Your First Paper | 0.5 |
| ME.440.803 | Teaching in Neuroscience | 1 |
| ME.440.825 | Quantitative Neurogenomics | 3 |
| or AS.200.659 | Quantitative Methods for Brain Sciences | |
| Other Courses and Elective Opportunities 1 | ||
| ME.440.705 | Cellular and Molecular Basis of Neural Development II | 1.5 |
| ME.440.707 | Molecular Mechanisms in Synaptic Transmission | 2 |
| ME.440.709 | Neuropharmacology | 1.5 |
| ME.440.711 | Cellular and Molecular Basis of Neural Development I: Neuronal Differentiation | 1.5 |
| ME.440.715 | Trends in the Neurobiology of Aging | .5 |
| ME.440.808 | Physiology of Visual and Olfactory Transductions | 1.5 |
| ME.440.824 | Cell Physiology of Visual and Olfactory Transductions | 1 |
| ME.440.818 | Bioenergetics, Neuroplasticity and Brain Health | 1 |
| ME.440.817 | Psychedelics | 0 |
| ME.440.818 | Bioenergetics, Neuroplasticity and Brain Health | 1 |
| ME.440.822 | Computational Principles of Biological Vision | 3 |
| ME.440.804 | Directed Readings in Neuroscience | 0 |
- 1
In addition to the listed core courses, each student will complete statistics and quantitative methods courses. Each student also selects advanced electives offered by members of the Neuroscience Training Program or other departments at the Medical School. Students in the Neuroscience Training Program are required to complete six elective courses by the end of their second year. These may be a combination of small seminar-style elective courses in neuroscience, listed below, and advanced courses in other fields relevant to their research interests, such as molecular biology, genetics, immunology, biochemistry, biomedical engineering, biostatistics, pharmacology, physiology, anatomy and computer science.