physics neuroscience phd

Why Stanford Neuroscience?

Students have the opportunity to work with any of the  faculty members  who are affiliated with the Neuroscience program. Our faculty come from departments campuswide including Neurobiology, Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Neurosurgery, Biology, Genetics, Comparative Medicine, Electrical Engineering, Otolaryngology, Psychiatry, Psychology, Applied Physics, Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Ophthalmology, and Anesthesia. All are distinguished scientists who have made fundamental discoveries in all areas of neuroscience from molecules to cognition, and have international reputations for excellence in both research and teaching.

After completing core courses in the first year, students are encouraged to take courses in any department that may benefit their research (e.g.,  biosciences, math, and engineering). Students can choose how they would like to distribute their credit requirements, offering great flexibility in their coursework. Stanford School of Medicine continually strives to improve the graduate education system. 

The program has a strong community, fostered in part by the Stanford Immersive Neuroscience course for first year students, an annual retreat held in Monterey, and many other student-run events that encourage mingling such as SIN Tea Time, Neuro Student Network panel discussions and fireside chats, happy hours, and DEIB coffee hours. Starting in the fourth year, students present their work to the community during monthly Superfriends gatherings. Our students also lead a homegrown neuroblog -  NeuWrite West  - to improve their own skills in communicating science to a general audience.

Students participate in a variety of activities both on and off campus. The gorgeous weather year-round allows students to hike, bike, and rock climb in the area, with weekend ski trips to Lake Tahoe common in the winter. Our students have performed with the Stanford Chamber Chorale, Stanford Medicine Chorus, Stanford Shakespeare company, swing and salsa clubs, and local music groups. The graduate community organizes social events including movie nights, restaurant outings, and parties.  

Admissions Information

Applications for autumn 2024 are now available, virtual information session recording (10/02/2023), the application deadline is tuesday, december 5, 2023, at 11:59:59 pm (pst).

How to Apply and Important Dates

How to Apply

• Applications for Autumn 2024 will be available on the  Biosciences Admissions website  on September 15, 2023.
• For general information about application procedures, documents, test scores, and more, visit the  Biosciences Admissions page .
• Fee waivers are available. Visit the  Biosciences Admissions page  - Application Fee and Fee Waivers section - for more information.
• Prior to starting an application, review all information on this site, on the  Biosciences Admissions website , and the  Graduate Admissions   website.

Important Dates

• Application Deadline: Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at 11:59:59 pm (PST). Late applications will not be accepted.
• Invitations to Interviews: Sent in January 2024
• Interview Session: Wednesday, March 6 through Sunday, March 10, 2024 (In Person)
• Mid-March 2024: Offers of Admission Begin
• April 15, 2024: Deadline to Accept Offer of Admission

Eligibility

The Stanford Neurosciences Program is committed to training a diverse group of neuroscientists who come from a wide range of ethnic, cultural, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Qualified applicants who are neither U.S. citizens nor permanent residents are eligible for admission. 

The Neurosciences program   recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision.

The Neurosciences program   welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. The review process is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, prior research experience, and admissions essays to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and potential contributions to their field and how they might enrich the learning community at Stanford.

Students are admitted into the program each year from a variety of disciplines. There is no one “right” way into the Neurosciences Program and no one “composite” student. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the Neurosciences, students are enrolled with backgrounds ranging from computational to biological; the program selects talented and highly motivated students with evidence of creativity and scientific rigor, regardless of exact disciplinary background. 

Students are selected from diverse backgrounds based on a variety of factors, including academic achievements, letters of recommendation attesting to research and academic skills, and statement of purpose. The admissions committee works very hard to holistically evaluate each applicant. 

There is no minimum GPA requirement and GRE scores are not considered. 

We do not publicly share information about the average scores of applicants or matriculated students.

The program does not have specific course requirements or recommendations to be considered for admission. However, students from traditional biology backgrounds are expected to show strong achievement in molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry and neuroscience. Students from more quantitative backgrounds should demonstrate considerable competence in mathematics (calculus, differential equations, linear algebra), physics, probability theory, and statistics. Students from psychology backgrounds should be well versed in cognitive science, experimental psychology, neuroscience and statistics. Advice on how to choose between neuroscience and psychology programs is offered  here  by one of our faculty members.

Research experience is very important, but the exact disciplinary area is not critical. 

Publications are not required for admission.

You will only need an advanced degree (M.A., M.S.) to apply if you do not meet the Minimum Education Requirements which can be found on the  Graduate Admissions  website.

Application Submission

We generally receive several hundred applications each admissions cycle. All applications are reviewed after the final deadline. However, it is important not to wait until the last minute to submit your application and certainly it is important to give your letter writers plenty of advance notice of the deadline.

• GRE scores are no longer considered in the Neurosciences program admissions process.

Letters of Recommendation 

• Three letters of recommendation are required, but you may have up to four letters submitted on your behalf.   As part of the online application, you will be required to register the names and contact information, including e-mail addresses, of your recommenders. Recommenders will then receive an e-mail with directions on how to proceed. 
• All recommendations must be submitted using the online application system as recommenders are required to respond to specific evaluation questions on the recommendation form. Letters of recommendation cannot be mailed, emailed, faxed, or submitted through a letter service (with the exception of Interfolio). For letters submitted via Interfolio, please remember that letters written specifically for your Stanford graduate program tend to be stronger than letters written for general use purposes.
• Please be sure that you ask for a recommendation from at least one individual who can address your potential for original and creative research. In most cases, that individual would be the person guiding your most recent research activities. It is very important that you contact your recommenders before submitting their information in the online application. You must choose whether or not to waive your right to see a recommendation. It may be that a recommender will not submit a recommendation if you have not waived the right to see it. This should be discussed in advance. Your choice will be transmitted to the recommender in the instructional email they will receive.
• For more information please see the Biosciences Admissions page .  

Transcripts

Applicants may upload unofficial transcripts to the online application form. Official transcripts are only required of admitted applicants who accept the offer of admission. More details on this can be found on the following  Graduate Admissions web page . Please do not send, or have any official transcripts sent, to our office.

Interviews and Acceptance

• Invitations to attend our Interview Session are extended in early- to mid-January.
• If you have any extenuating circumstances that may in any way affect your ability to attend Interview Session, please reach out to program staff and we will work with you to make your visit possible and as comfortable as we can. 
• Our office does not have the resources to inform applicants as to why they were not invited to interview. Similarly, we are not able to assess your qualifications as an applicant.  

Acceptances

• 8-15 students are generally accepted each year.
• Generally, applicants being offered admission into the program receive an offer soon after interview session. However, with a rolling admissions process, offers of admission may be extended at any time before April 15.
• Individuals may reapply if not admitted in a given year. 

International Applicants

Applicants who are neither U.S. citizens nor permanent residents are eligible to apply. Stanford offers a limited number of fellowships to outstanding admitted students, and international applicants may be nominated for these fellowships.

Please see the Graduate Admissions  "Required Exams"  web page for information regarding TOEFL requirements and COVID-19 TOEFL Test accommodations. 

Past Information Sessions Recordings and Q&A

Click here  to view the recording of our webinar on October 3, 2022.

Click here to access the recording of our Virtual Information Session on October 4, 2021.

Here are the Questions and Answers from the 2021 webinar that were not answered live:

Are summer rotations possible? Yes! through the ADVANCE Summer Institute .

Do we state who we want to work with on the application?  There is a place to list faculty that you are interested in. The program will do their best to match stated faculty members of interest with interviewees during recruitment week.

Is it possible to join a faculty member’s lab who is not part of the training faculty listed on the website? / I want to apply to Neuroscience PhD but the PI of interest is associated with Bioinformatics and Biophysics. Can he still take me as a graduate student in his lab?  Yes! People admitted to any Biosciences Home Program can work with any Bioscinces faculty. Consider which Home Program might make the most sense for you. For more information, see: https://biosciences.stanford.edu/prospective-students/program-overview/

How do you tell if you're ready for a PhD program rather than a postbac or Master's program? If you have some experience and are pretty certain that you want to get a PhD in Neuroscience, you don't have much to lose by applying. If you don't have enough experience to know whether you want to be a neuroscientist or do a PhD, it can be really useful to do a postbac. 

How did you know that a PhD was the best step for you? I knew I wanted to be a faculty member, and a PhD is not only required for that but also provides some training that is useful. For you, I would think about how a PhD would help you get where you want to go in your career.

How helpful is it to live near campus in terms of student relationships, research, and access to faculty?  During your first year, living near campus is definitely advantageous because you will be attending classes on campus, be rotating in labs, and there will be a ton of social events going on. However, as your class requirements diminish and if you are doing more computational research, it’s easier to live further away from campus. But it’s definitely what you make of it and what you want your Stanford experience to be like.

How many students do you normally take that are coming from industry/extensive work experience?  Students in this program come from many backgrounds. One of the most common pathways is working as a post-bacc or lab tech for 2-3 years after gradaution, but there are certainly people who come directly from undergrad, as well as people who have worked in industry for several (5+) years. No single pathway is “correct”!

According to the graduate housing website, single graduate housing is available to those who are 25 years of age or older. Does this mean that students under the age of 25 would not qualify for any on campus housing?  The age limit is only for undergraduates who wish to live in grad housing. ALL grad students, regardless of age, are eligible for on campus grad housing. As a first-year grad student student, you have top priority and will have a guaranteed spot for on campus housing if you fill out the housing application by the deadline (usually May).

Is there a clinical component to this program?  No. If you are interested in clinical work, consider an MD or joint MD-PhD program.

What is the structure of the prelim exam? For the students: did you feel well prepared for them?  The qualifying exam consists of a written proposal (in the style of an NRSA), and an oral presentation in front of a qualifying exam committee of your choice. More senior students in the program hold a “How to Qualify Panel,” to help answer questions, and generally students give practice talks to their peers / labs / etc. to help them prepare. Generally, I would say that students feel that the preparation process really helped them think through their project / develop it further!

Will the COVID impacts the funding for the number of PhD students?  No, the funding model has not changed due to any COVID impacts.

What is some funding options and resources for DACA (undocumented) students? We definitely would like to support you! You can email the Office of Graduate Education  and Undocumented at Stanford  for more information. 

Does the Stanford Neuroscience Program have any kind of community outreach program? Specifically, I'm wondering if there is any effort to engage with local middle/high school students and assist them with preparation for college and demystifying research and a career in academia.  Yes, there are several opportunities (not limited to the Neurosciences program, but within the wider Stanford Biosciences community). One that is very neuroscience-specific is Brain Day for local middle-school students, and other programs to share their science/research with local seniors.

How often do labs have students from multiple bioscience disciplines? Is there collaboration across the disciplines aside from classes you can take?  I would say it’s very common! Personally, my lab has graduate students from Neuroscience, Stem Cell, Genetics, and Chemistry programs.

Is finding funding for a 5th year of research difficult or does the program help with writing for grants or other ways of helping to secure funding?  There are several offices, groups, and courses available to help students write grants (e.g., Grant Writing Academy, SBSA peer mentorship for NSF, NIH NRSA writing course, peer-led workshops), and our students are successful at being funded. PIs are responsible for funding their students in their 5th+ year if the student does not have an individual fellowship. 

Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program

Join dozens of  Stanford Medicine students  who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as  Knight-Hennessy Scholars  (KHS). KHS admits up to 100 select applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of your PhD studies at Stanford. Candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment. If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 12, 2022. Learn more about  KHS admission . 

Berkeley Neuroscience

Images left to right:  Christine Liu (PhD 2021) in the lab,   Christiane Voufo (PhD 2022) as the graduate student speaker at the Spring 2023 commencement ceremony, current Neuroscience PhD students in Tahoe during the 2023 UC Berkeley Neuroscience Research Conference, and Karina Bistrong (current Neuroscience PhD student) with poster presentation. Images provided by Christine Liu, GradImages, Frédéric Theunissen, and the Feller lab, respectively.

Prospective Students

Current students, program activities, gsi hiring information, student services & advising.

The Neuroscience Department will offer PhD training through the Neuroscience PhD Program , which will be run jointly by the department and the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute (HWNI) .  This program has existed since 2000, run by HWNI, and has graduated > 150 students with a PhD in Neuroscience.  When the department launches, the existing HWNI Neuroscience PhD Program will be adopted and jointly administered by the department and HWNI. This will be a seamless transition for current students, who will not experience any changes to program curriculum or requirements. Over the next few years, we plan to make updates to the course of study, so that the program provides the best possible training, and matches the scope of both the Neuroscience Department and HWNI.  Students who enter the program will be able to choose thesis study with Neuroscience Department faculty members or with training faculty within the broader set of HWNI faculty.  Please see the full list of eligible faculty here .

PhD Program

The Neuroscience PhD Program at UC Berkeley offers intensive training in neuroscience research through a combination of coursework, research training, mentoring, and professional development. More than 60  program faculty (link is external)  from the Neuroscience Department and other allied departments provide broad expertise from molecular and cellular neuroscience to systems and computational neuroscience, to human cognitive neuroscience.

A unique feature of the neuroscience training at Berkeley is the highly multidisciplinary research environment. For instance, neuroscientists work side-by-side in the lab with engineers and roboticists to study motor control, with bioengineers to grow stem cells for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, and with chemists to develop new reagents for optical monitoring and control of neural activity. Neuroscience PhD Program students are trained at these intersections between fields and help drive scientific and technological advances.

The Neuroscience PhD Program trains a select group of students (about 10-12 entering students per year) in an intellectually stimulating and supportive environment. Since its official launch in 2000, the program has trained more than 150 students. Our applicants have outstanding undergraduate records in both research and scholarship from diverse academic disciplines, including biology, chemistry, psychology, physics, engineering, and computer science. We carefully select students with the expectation that, given strong graduate training, they will develop into tomorrow’s leaders in the field of neuroscience. We welcome you to apply to our program.

Please see the Neuroscience Department page:  Diversity, Equity & Inclusion .

Annual Message from Our PhD Program Director

"I am delighted to be the new director of our graduate program. I have inherited a program that I am proud to tell everyone is the best run graduate program on campus..."  Read More

Neuroscience PhD Program

UC Berkeley | 444 Li Ka Shing, MC#3370 | Berkeley, CA 94720-3370 | [email protected]

Neuroscience Institute

Ph.d in neural computation.

Computational neuroscience is an area of brain science that uses technology to develop and analyze large data sets that are used to understand the complexities of neurobiological systems. In recent years, these methods have become more and more vital to the field of neuroscience as a whole. The use of quantitative methods in neurophysiology has led to important advances, and there has been a continuing stream of related work within mathematics and applied physics. More recently, engineers, computer scientists, and statisticians have contributed to the field, further expanding the definition of computational neuroscience.  At the same time, the number of investigators with requisite skills who are ac­tively engaged in this domain of research is relatively small. There is a widely recognized need for increased training in the application of computational, mathematical, and sta­tistical methods to biology and medicine, and to problems in neuroscience in particular.

The Ph.D. Program in Neural Computation seeks to train new scientists in the field. The environment at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh has much to offer to students interested in computational approaches and it is a perfect home for the Ph.D. Program in Neural Computation. The neuroscience community in Pittsburgh is known for being particularly strong in computation.  The program also offers joint Ph.D. degrees with  Machine Learning  and  Statistics .

This program is designed to attract students with strong quantitative backgrounds and to train them in quantitative disciplines relevant to neuroscience and also to provide them the essential background in experimental neuroscience.  

In doing so, we leverage the special strengths of our institution and the unique neuroscience community here in Pittsburgh. Training faculty and courses will be drawn both from CMU and Pitt as described. The PNC PhD program is designed for stu­dents with backgrounds in computer science, physics, statistics, mathematics, and engineering who are interested in computational neuroscience, particularly with an emphasis on quantitative methods from computer science, machine learning, statistics and nonlinear dynamics.

The program consists of the following core activities:

• Coursework in computational neuroscience, quantitative methodologies and experimental neuroscience
• Research milestone presentations
• Exposure to experimental approaches through rotations or thesis research
• Training in teaching, scientific presentations and responsible conduct of research
• Successful defense of a PhD Thesis

Additional satellite activities through the CNBC will also foster students’ professional and scientific development.   Read more about the curriculum .

The PNC program is overseen by the PNC training faculty, the Academic Program Manager, and the Program Directors.  Questions about any aspect of the program should be directed either to the Academic Program Manager,   Melissa Stupka , or one of the Program Directors:   Steve Chase at CMU and   Gelsy  Torres-Oviedo  at University of Pittsburgh.

Joint Programs

• PNC/ Machine Learning
• PNC/ Statistics
• M.D.-Ph.D. Program

The CMU Rales Fellow Program is dedicated to developing a diverse community of STEM leaders from underrepresented and under-resourced backgrounds by eliminating cost as a barrier to education. Learn more about this program for master's and Ph.D. students. Learn more

Diversity in Neuroscience

• CMU Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Dietrich College Diversity and Inclusion
• Mellon College of Science Diversity
• CMU Rales Fellows Program

Neural Computation Contacts

Academic program manager.

Melissa Stupka Mellon Institute 116C [email protected]

Program Director (CMU)

Steve Chase Professor, Biomedical Engineering & Neuroscience Institute Carnegie Mellon University Mellon Institute 115N [email protected]

Program Director (Pitt)

Gelsy Torres-Oviedo, Ph.D.                   Associate Professor, Bioengineering University of Pittsburgh Schenley Place, Room 115 [email protected]  

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Neuroscience

Graduate Programs and PhD Programs in Neuroscience at Weill Cornell Graduate School study the nervous system from a wide variety of scientific disciplines. Students interact closely with faculty studying the nervous system from a wide variety of scientific disciplines, including molecular genetics, biochemistry, pharmacology, neuroanatomy, electrophysiology, and computational and systems neuroscience. They work at the molecular, cellular and organism systems, ranging from insects to rodents to human and non-human primates.

Focus areas in the program of study include: neural disease, synaptic transmission, developmental neurobiology and regeneration, vision, computational and systems neuroscience, and neuropharmacology.

Over 60 faculty members in the program come from Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC), Sloan-Kettering Institute (SKI, part of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center), Burke-Cornell Medical Research Institute and Houston Methodist.

The research interests of the program cover the entire range of neuroscience, including the regulation of neural development, neuronal plasticity, control of neurotransmitter synthesis and release, learning, the response of neurons and neural tissue to injury, the regulation of gene expression, endocrine function, circuit development, vision and other sensory systems, information processing and behavior.

The basic science of developmental neurobiology explores the elementary processes by which the brain forms (morphogenesis), structure is established (histogenesis), neuronal and glial subtypes are specified from progenitors, connections are established and operates. Discoveries about the way that neurons form and communicate make this field one of the most promising routes toward increasing our understanding of the brain and mind. Genetics research in neurology and psychiatry is an exciting, rapidly advancing field that looks at the etiology of disease, as well as works to identify genetic predictors of disease, likely responses to available treatment and avenues to new therapies. Studies of epigenetic effects are opening a new perspective on "nature versus nurture" issues in brain development at the molecular level.

Development and function of the nervous system as a unifying theme of the Neuroscience program is reflected in the work at The Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology. This institute is engaged in research on typical and atypical brain development. A primary objective is to use new techniques to study developing children in order to transform clinical methods. The Institute's program of research and training emphasizes functional neuroimaging, and genetic and behavioral influences on cognitive and emotional development. The Institute is both wide ranging and influential in its technical approaches to the study of children. It has become one of the best research centers in the world for the neurocognitive study of children.

Research is also ongoing in the fields of cerebrovascular physiology, cerebral ischemia, cellular and system neurophysiology, cellular and molecular neurobiology, neuroanatomy at the light and ultrastructural level, and imaging.

Translational research links many of the areas of basic science to clinical problems . Particular translational areas include studies in humans with brain injury, neural tube defect (spina bifida, anencephaly) and cortical malformations, neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy, neuroimmunological and behavioral disorders.

Many members of the program have a special interest in questions that are particularly relevant to human disease, and their research has important implications for topics such as stem cell therapeutics, the regulation of pain, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, neural tumors, stroke, addiction, aging, brain malformations, epilepsy, autism and neuropsychiatric illnesses.

Related Links

Program Requirements

Applicants to the program are expected to have had thorough undergraduate training in biology, psychology, organic chemistry, physics and/or mathematics. Candidates must apply for admission online. Applicants are not required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).  Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL examination.

Becoming a Doctoral Candidate

The course of study, which includes course work, seminars, laboratory rotations and thesis research, is individualized. Students are expected to work closely with members of the faculty whose research approach complements their own interests. Regularly scheduled seminars, where work in progress is presented and discussed, afford students the broadest possible view of the neurosciences and are an important component of their graduate training.

Laboratory rotations allow students to experience research first hand and to acquaint themselves with the program's research faculty. Students are expected to complete at least three rotations of three months each, but may complete additional rotations, before choosing a thesis advisor (major sponsor).

Prior to July 1st of year two, students must successfully complete the ACE (Admission to Candidacy Examination). The ACE is designed to test the student's general knowledge of neuroscience and also includes preparation of an original written research proposal. In consultation with the thesis advisor, and with the consent of the director of the program, the student chooses an ACE topic and committee. The ACE topic should not be a part of the thesis. The committee should consist of 3-4 examiners, including a designated chair from the neuroscience graduate faculty, the student's thesis advisor and two grad faculty with expertise in the topic. With submission of the ACE the student should submit a one page thesis proposal.

PhD Research and Degree

Thesis research is completed usually within four to six years from enrollment in the program, under the direction of the student's major faculty sponsor. The Special Committee advises the student in his or her research, meeting at least annually with the student to monitor progress and to oversee development of the thesis. During this time the student continues to participate in the other educational programs offered by the graduate program but works full time in the laboratory. Annual special committee meetings are mandatory.

Upon completion of the thesis, the student prepares the work for publication, presents it to the University in an open seminar, and defends the validity of the work before the Special Committee and the members of the program. The culmination of the student's successful progression through the program is the final examination (the "defense") and certification by the Special Committee that the thesis represents an official piece of research satisfying the requirements of the Graduate School for the PhD degree.

Student Stories

I’m a firm believer that in order to excel in something, you must be passionate about it. Combining my passion for science with the drive to help others motivated me to enroll in a Ph.D. program at Weill Cornell.

I chose Weill Cornell for my graduate studies because not only was the research high level and cutting edge, but the community was collaborative and engaging.

"Faculty members are approachable and supportive. I feel comfortable dropping by their lab to ask for advice, lab-related or not."

Research Topics

• Neural Networks
• Neuro-oncology
• Neurobiology
• Neurodegeneration
• Neurodevelopment
• Neurovascular Biology
• Anrather, Josef
• Blasberg, Ronald
• Burre, Jacqueline
• Calderon, Diany
• Cho, Sunghee
• Colak, Dilek
• DeMarco, Natalia
• Dittman, Jeremy
• Eliezer, David
• Fakhro, Khalid
• Gardner, Daniel
• Gibson, Gary
• Glass, Michael
• Goldstein, Peter
• Grafstein, Bernice
• Grosenick, Logan
• Hochrainer, Karin
• Hollis, Edmund
• Holodny, Andrei
• Huang, Xin Yun
• Iadecola, Costantino
• Inturrisi, Charles
• Ishii, Makoto
• Jaffrey, Samie
• Joyner, Alexandra
• Kosofsky, Barry
• Kuceyeski, Amy
• Lane, Diane
• Lee, Francis
• Levin, Lonny
• Li, Yueming
• Liston, Conor
• Manfredi, Giovanni
• Milner, Teresa
• Ndhlovu, Lishomwa
• Nikolov, Dimitar
• Nimigean, Crina
• Pickel, Virginia
• Pitt, Geoffrey
• Platholi, Jimcy
• Pleil, Kristen
• Prusky, Glen
• Purpura, Keith
• Rajadhyaksha, Anjali
• Ratan, Rajiv
• Ross, M. Elizabeth
• Ryan, Timothy
• Sagdullaev, Botir
• Schiff, Nicholas
• Sharma, Manu
• Simon, David
• Studer, Lorenz
• Sung, Ching-Hwa
• Tabar, Viviane
• Toth, Miklos
• Vierbuchen, Thomas
• Wagner, John
• Weng, Yi-Lan
• Willis, Dianna
• Yoshida, Yukuta
• Zhong, Jian

Courses and Required Curricular Components

• Addiction and Society
• Biology of Neural Diseases
• Development and Learning Seminar
• From Neuron to the Brain: An Introduction to Neuroscience
• Logic and Experimental Design
• Mathematical Structures in Neuroscience
• Neuroscience 444–Drug Development: A Disease Business Approach
• Neuroscience Faculty and Their Research
• Progress in Neuroscience Seminar Series
• Research Proposals and Scientific Journalism: Inspiration, Writing and Evaluation
• Responsible Conduct of Research

Program Chair

Program director, program coordinator.

• Dua, Maullika

Student Handbook

To view the Neuroscience Student Handbook, click here .

Weill Cornell Medicine Graduate School of Medical Sciences 1300 York Ave. Box 65 New York, NY 10065 Phone: (212) 746-6565 Fax: (212) 746-8906

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Neuroscience Graduate Program

How to apply - admissions, preparation.

Students entering the program typically have a baccalaureate degree in one of the natural or applied sciences (e.g., Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Neuroscience, Psychology, Biomedical Engineering). Successful applicants will usually have had college-level coursework, or equivalent professional experience, in disciplines relevant for neuroscience, including the biological sciences, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. In addition, prior laboratory research experience is strongly recommended.

Eligibility

Applicants must have earned a U.S. baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from a college, university, or technical school of acceptable standing. Students in their final year of undergraduate study may be admitted on the condition that their bachelor's degrees are awarded before they matriculate. Evidence of the earned degree is required prior to matriculation in the form of an official transcript noting degree conferral.

Application Requirements for PhD Programs

It is expected that all application materials (with the exception of official score reports) be scanned and uploaded to your online application.  Please note that the University of Rochester reserves the right to verify the accuracy of all transcripts and test scores, and to require submission of official documentation at any point in the admissions review process.

• Create an SMD Graduate  Admissions Application
• Statement of Purpose ​ Applicants should explain why they want to pursue a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Rochester. Applicants should also discuss their prior research experiences and coursework and how they relate to Neuroscience. We employ a holistic admissions approach (details of transparent review  here ). For each applicant, we evaluate aptitude (likelihood of success in completing the degree program requirements), program fit (demonstrate ambition to pursue a career in Neuroscience), and non-academic personal attributes (including leadership, reliability and dependability, ability to work in teams, service, and commitment to diversity and inclusion). We also consider resilience, assessing whether applicants have demonstrated an ability to handle stressful or changing environments or situations and have shown persistence, even under difficult circumstances. Please make sure that your personal statement speaks to each of these elements and describes your lived experiences. Please instruct those who are writing letters of recommendations to comment on all of these points to the best of their abilities.
• Uploaded copy of transcript(s) to online application. Please do not mail a hard copy at this time.
• 3 Letters of Recommendation
• GRE Scores will not be used by the admissions committee even if submitted.  Note, because we share our admissions system with other programs, currently we are unable to remove the field to collect GRE information.  Applicants can disregard this field. If GRE scores are submitted, the committee will not look at it or take it into account when making admissions decisions.
• Official TOEFL (SMD  school code: 2948 , SOPHAS  application code: 5688 ) or IELTS Scores For applicants whose native language is not English .
• Statement of Purpose ​ Applicants should explain why they want to pursue a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Rochester and provide a statement on their interest for a scientific career in immunology, microbiology and/or virology. In addition, applicants are expected to discuss their prior research experience(s) and coursework as well as how these relate to immunology/virology/microbiology. Applicants are also encouraged to discuss extra-curricular activities related to science.  
• Official TOEFL (SMD school code: 2948 , SOPHAS  application code: 5688 ) or IELTS Scores For applicants whose native language is not English .

PhD Application Timeline

For admission to fall semester.

• By December 1 st    - The $60 application fee is automatically waived.
• By December 15th  - Complete application due ($60 application fee applies)
• December / January  - Interviews scheduled
• January  - Interviews held virtually
• January - March  - Offer of admission notices mailed after interviews
• February / March  - In-person visits held
• By April 15  - Responses due for offer of admission
• July  - Online application opens
• August  - Fall semester begins
• By December 1st   - The $60 application fee is automatically waived
• After December 15th  - applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until January 1, at each program’s discretion. For a list of programs that will consider applications until January 1, please check here .
• December - January  - Interviews scheduled
• February - Interviews held
• February - March - Offer of admission notices mailed after interviews
• By April 15 - Responses due for offer of admission
• August 1  - Online application opens
• September - Fall semester begins

Neuroscience—PhD

Course work and research that emphasize the integration of molecular biology, developmental biology, biophysics, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neuroendocrinology, neuroimmunology, cognition, and behavioral neuroscience are offered through this PhD degree program. Students are required to develop a strong background in the principles of neuroscience and develop the intellectual background and technical expertise necessary for successful research projects in their area of specialization. As part of this preparation for independent research, students are expected to publish their research findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Admission and Entry

In addition to general graduate requirements, applicants should have a strong background in neuroscience including:

• At least one advanced course completed in Molecular/Cellular Neuroscience, Behavioral Neuroscience or Psychology
• Solid foundation in the basic sciences with advanced courses in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics, and Biology/Physiology
• Students without the prerequisite courses in neuroscience can be accepted conditionally into the program, provided they take a Behavioral Neuroscience course (Neuro 460) and a Cellular Neuroscience course (Neuro 480) their first semester and pass each class with a 3.0 or higher
• Grade Point Average: 3.0 or greater. If lower, petition is needed

Required Tests

GRE, MCAT or DAT are not required, but may be submitted if desired.

Students whose native language is not English must successfully complete the TOEFL or IELTS examination with a minimum score as given below:

For more information about English Proficiency Tests, please visit English Proficiency for BYU Graduate Studies .

Non-English-speaking students must also provide sufficient documentation to permit an appropriate evaluation of their previous academic performance.

Additional Requirements

Three Letters of Recommendation: at least two from academic mentors/faculty/research advisors

Letter of Intent: Document summarizing your background, career goals, research experience, interest level, likely fit, and desire to conduct graduate research with at least three specific faculty members in the program.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact individual faculty members whose research is aligned with the prospective student's long-term goals. This allows the faculty member to advocate on behalf of the applicant during the acceptance process. Students will work directly with faculty mentors throughout their graduate programs. Faculty contact information can be found here .

Requirements for Degree

Click here for more information about the Neuroscience PhD program.

Contact Heidi Jensen with questions at [email protected] or 801-422-8633.

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Embracing a complete spectrum of neuroscience training and multidisciplinary techniques

Program Overview

The Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Michigan was constituted in 1971, making it the longest-standing neuroscience training program in the United States. The Program is interdisciplinary and inter-departmental with faculty and students located in the Medical School, the College of Literature, Arts, and Sciences, the Dental School, the School of Kinesiology, and the College of Engineering. We are a collegial and interactive group that performs research across the breadth of the neuroscience field.

Neuroscience graduate students on this campus form a cohesive group that promotes interactions among the faculty, making the Neuroscience Graduate Program the nexus of the neuroscience community at U of M. A PhD in Neuroscience provides tremendous flexibility in choosing one’s career path. Our program captures the excitement and interaction intrinsic to the field of neuroscience.

The Neuroscience Graduate Program includes more than 150 faculty members representing more than 20 basic and clinical science departments in the the Medical School, the College of Literature, Arts, and Sciences, the Dental School, the School of Kinesiology, and the College of Engineering. Members of our faculty include a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a past-president of the Society for Neuroscience, and several Institute for Scientific Information “Highly Cited Researchers.”

Apply through our PIBS application

The heart of training in the Neuroscience Graduate Program is laboratory research. Graduate students in neuroscience begin research training upon their arrival on campus, and complete at least two research rotations with program faculty before adopting a laboratory for their dissertation research. With over 150 distinguished faculty, the research areas represented by the Neuroscience Graduate Program are expansive. These research areas represent seven major sub-disciplines in neuroscience:

• Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
• Clinical and Translational Neuroscience
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Sensory Neuroscience
• Computational Neuroscience

Neuroscience research at the University Michigan spans the full range of experimental methods, from molecular biology to human neuroimaging. Students and faculty present their research at local events including the annual Fall Retreat, the Neuroscience Seminar series, in program-sponsored poster sessions and an annual Spring Symposium. In addition, students and faculty travel to several national meetings, including the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting, to present their results.

The coursework in the Neuroscience Graduate Program curriculum equips students with knowledge in basic neuroscience and related disciplines. A yearlong core course is the hub of the curriculum, and emphasizes Neurophysiology, Neuropharmacology, Neural Development, Circuits and Computational Neuroscience, Sensory Systems, Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, and Clinical and Translational Neuroscience.

Students complete additional laboratory training in cellular and molecular neurobiology during an intensive 2-week laboratory class before the start of the Fall semester. Courses in statistics and research ethics are required and elective courses are offered across a wide variety of departments and programs allowing students to individualize their training program.

In addition to formal coursework, graduate students in the program attend weekly seminars at which students, faculty and invited lecturers present their work.

Preliminary Examination

Students typically complete the candidacy examination at the end of their first year. This written exam is designed to test the student's ability to read and understand the neuroscience literature, develop hypotheses and propose experiments to test them based on knowledge learned in the first year curriculum. After advancement to candidacy, each student forms their dissertation committees and presents that committee with a thesis dissertation proposal in the format of an NIH NRSA Predoctoral Fellowship proposal by the end of their second year.

Teaching Requirement

All graduate students are required to teach one course for one semester, usually in year 2.

Expected Length of Program

The usual time to degree is approximately 5.8 years.

The pride and strength of the NGP is its truly exceptional students. From 2001-2017, NGP students published more than 250 papers with most of these in notable and high impact journals. NGP students also competed very successfully for extramural fellowships, including predoctoral NSF, Department of Defense, and NIH NRSA awards as well as regional and local fellowships.

Students in the Neuroscience Program are active in a number of outreach activities including BrainsRule!, a one day reverse science fair for middle school students; FEMMES (Females Excelling More in Math, Engineering and the Sciences) promotes the STEM fields to young women throughout the year in a variety of activities; and M.Y.E.L.I.N. (Mentoring Youth and Early Leaders In Neuroscience) participates in monthly science clubs in disadvantaged areas of the community for elementary and middle school children among. Students also join the Neuroscience Graduate Student Organization (NGSO), which coordinates additional outreach activities in local schools, hosts journal clubs and represents the Neuroscience Graduate Program to their peers in PIBS and on campus.

NGP students have a strong commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with a variety of activities including strong student representation in multiple campus DEI committees & groups, peer-led workshops with topics such as diversity in STEM, and annual attendance at both ABRCMS and SACNAS. NGP students also mentor undergraduate students from a variety of minority-serving institutions for summer experiences.

Finally, students in the NGP have access to a number of International Research Opportunities through established relationships with Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland) and Tel Aviv University (Tel Aviv, Israel). Students can work with the Global Research Engagement Opportunity Program to find international research opportunities at any university worldwide.

There are more than 180 alumni of the Neuroscience Graduate Program. Many of our alums complete a post-doctoral position and recently we have had students placed at Yale, UC Berkeley, HHMI, Harvard and MIT among other universities nationwide and around the world. Our graduates work in varied fields including academic research, industrial research and development, academic medicine and biotechnology.

Learn more about the Department of Neuroscience.

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• Doing a PhD in Neuroscience

What Does a PhD in Neuroscience Focus On?

Neuroscience is the study of the structure and function of the nervous system. Neuroscientists investigate how the nervous system works and also study factors which can influence the behaviour of the nervous system. Such factors include neurological, psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.

A PhD in neuroscience provides a wide range of advantages for people that are already studying in the field. It allows you to focus your postgraduate study, work with cutting edge technology, operate within leading research departments, and pursue specialist neuroscience jobs upon completion of your research project.

It should be noted that there are many research projects which are focused on a specialist area of neuroscience. Subsequently, other relevant doctoral degrees include (but are not limited to):

• PhD in cognitive neuroscience – A PhD in cognitive neuroscience offers a unique opportunity. It teaches you how the brain functions chemically and neurologically. A PhD allows you to investigate the role of neurotransmitters, chemical compounds that send messages across the synapses of the brain. These compounds control the behaviour of the neurons and influence all the other functions of the brain. When they are working the way they’re supposed to, the brain is behaving normally.
• PhD in behavioural neuroscience – Also known as biological psychology, biopsychology, or psychobiology. Behavioural neuroscience includes the study of psychological and neural mechanisms which affect behaviour (e.g. genetic or psychiatric) and neurological disease.
• PhD in computational neuroscience – Computational neuroscience is a growing field and uses computers to simulate the brain. Computational neuroscience candidates should be well versed in the emerging technologies of this field to contribute to the field’s progress, and may have a background in mathematics, physics, artificial intelligence, or computer science rather than biology. A PhD in computational neuroscience may see a PhD student develop personalized treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders.
• PhD in clinical neuroscience – A postgraduate degree in clinical neuroscience focuses on the nervous system in relation to health and disease. A research project in this field may involve the development of novel techniques to diagnose and treat disorders of the human brain or central nervous system.

Other popular neuroscience research areas in include molecular neuroscience, neuroengineering, neuroimaging, neurolinguistics, neuroinformatics, and neurobiological study.

Entry Requirements for A PhD in Neuroscience

The typical neuroscience PhD research project requires applicants to have, or expect to obtain, an upper second class (2:1) bachelor’s degree in a related subject area. In some cases, a lower second class (2:2) bachelor’s degree is sufficient if the graduate has a master’s degree or other relevant experience. For international students, overseas equivalent qualifications are almost always accepted. Since the focus of a research project can vary greatly, relevant subjects can be decided on an individual basis.

Of course, PhD in neuroscience requirements vary across different institutions, and some projects may have subject specific entry requirements, e.g. a PhD in computational neuroscience may require the graduate student to have basic programming knowledge.

Universities typically expect international graduate students to provide evidence of their English Language ability in addition to their application. English language requirements are usually provided in the form of a IELTS, TOEFL (iBT) or CAE and CPE score. The exact score requirements may differ from university to university. Any English language qualifications will be clearly stated as part of the application process.

Browse PhDs in Neuroscience

A next-generation genetic technology to identify biotechnologically-valuable enzymes and transporters, development of fluorescent organic molecules for application in super-resolution imaging techniques, ubiquitin-dependent signalling pathways in ageing, speciation in facultatively sexual species, energy dissipation in human soft tissue during impacts, how long does it take to get a phd in neuroscience.

In the United Kingdom, a standard PhD research project in neuroscience requires 3 to 4 years of full-time study. A part-time neuroscience programme typically takes 6 to 7 years to complete. A neuroscience MPhil typically takes 1 to 2 years of full time study.

Students pursuing careers in this field may undertake additional training courses, aimed to develop independent research, communication and project management skills. Courses in these areas will give students an excellent foundation in which to begin their careers.

There are also laboratory rotations and specialised training modules for doctoral students within some PhD programmes, which may include developmental psychology, developmental biology, brain sciences, clinical neuroscience, cell biology, medicine, biomedical sciences, genetics, pharmacology, neurophysiology, cognitive science and neurology .

Costs and Funding

Annual tuition fees for PhDs in neuroscience are typically around £5,000 – £6,000 for UK students. Tuition fees for overseas students are typically around £25,000 – £35,000 per academic year. Tuition fees for part time programmes are typically scaled down according to the programme length (for both home and international tuition fees).

Some neuroscience PhD programmes also have additional costs to cover laboratory resources, travel, fieldwork, department administration and computational costs.

Many Universities offer postgraduate studentships or doctoral loan schemes which cover the tuition fees and in some cases the living costs for neuroscience PhD programmes.

PhD in Neuroscience Career Paths and Jobs

If you are wondering what to do with a PhD in neuroscience, there are many options you can explore. PhD in neuroscience jobs require specialist knowledge, and the typical neuroscientist salary in the UK reflects this. However, the average salary of a neuroscientist varies greatly due to the broad range of industries they can operate in. Generally a senior neuroscientist salary in the UK is around £50,000 per annum, however salaries can exceed £100,000 depending on the specific role. For example a cognitive neuroscientist salary in the UK may be greater than that of a cellular neuroscience researcher. It is also possible to use your PhD to find work internationally as some countries may provide employment opportunities which improve upon neuroscience salaries in the UK.

Many PhD in neuroscience careers are within the academic world, as often postgraduate students choose to become lecturers, professors and researchers. Here they can continue to lead research into their field of interest and can help shape future postgraduate study. Neuroscience professors and lecturers can expect a generous salary. Higher education institutions are not the only destination available for postdoctoral researchers. Government lead research councils such as the BBRSC are one of many employers which contribute to academia.

Other PhD students look for neuroscience jobs in the pharmaceutical industry, where they can use their specialist knowledge and skills in the lab to understand how developmental drugs affect the nervous system.

Another popular career destination is within public engagement. As a scientific communicator, you are responsible for educating the general public on neurological matters and often take governmental or advisory roles. There are many NHS jobs that facilitate these responsibilities.

Typically, a PhD in neuroscience salary is higher than that of a counterpart with an undergraduate degree only. This is because the specialist knowledge a PhD graduate student has allows them to innovate and lead. A PhD programme also usually involves some manner of project management which lends itself to management roles.

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PhD Overview

Understanding the nervous system provides key insights into human nature as well as treatments for a host of devastating neurologic and psychiatric disorders. Our graduate program introduces students to the fundamental issues and experimental approaches in neuroscience and trains them in the theory and practice of laboratory research.  

Synopsis of the CNUP Graduate Training Program

The CNUP Graduate Training Program has been designed to accomplish several objectives:

• To develop competence in conducting laboratory research including planning, executing, reporting, and defending an original piece of research relevant to the study of neuroscience.
• To develop general competence in neuroscience and specific expertise in one or more areas of neuroscience such as behavioral/systems/cognitive, cell and molecular, development/plasticity/repair, and neurobiology of disease.
• To develop a general professional competence in oral and written expression, necessary for a career in science and/or teaching.
• To develop fundamental skills in scientific reasoning required to redefine research questions and devise innovative multidisciplinary strategies as a means for adapting to the continually evolving landscape of neuroscience and neuroscience research.  

In formulating the graduate training program, the faculty has been guided by several principles. First, the program should aid each student in the development of an individualized training program based on the student's background and interests.

Second, research experience should form the core of each student's training and as such should not be postponed by a lengthy period of time devoted exclusively to coursework.

Third, students should be able to complete the program in approximately five years.

Fourth, students should be evaluated in terms of those competencies that are important to a research scientist: designing, conducting and evaluating research, both their own and that of others.

Thus, the progress that a student makes in the program is considered primarily in terms of the student's performance as an investigator.

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Neurosciences PhD Program

Message from the Directors:

The human brain is an extraordinary apparatus that controls our functions, thoughts, and communication. The brain’s function amazes both researchers and the general public alike. The field of Neuroscience continues to evolve and intersect with formerly separate disciplines, including computing, public policy, and human health. As a result, a degree in Neuroscience has never been more valuable in our society, but also more complex . True mastery requires an understanding of multiple skills and disciplines. For example, the student of translational neuroscience must understand the many facets of how the brain developed and functions as well as how this knowledge applies to modern challenges and treatments. They must have knowledge of the basic research that serves as the foundation for our knowledge, but also how these basic findings translate to applications outside of the laboratory.

We strongly believe that this is an extraordinary time for neuroscience and for the role of neuroscience in medicine and our modern society. Recent advances in laboratory-based neuroscience have included CRISPR gene-editing, computational modeling and machine learning, and optogenetics, to name just a few. In medicine, we have seen an extraordinary boom in new technologies for movement disorders, immunotherapy for brain malignancies, technologies for adult and pediatric epilepsy. These stunning breakthroughs cross departments, fields of education and degree development, and also offer exciting new treatments for our patients.

At OU we want to train the next generation of researchers, thought-leaders, and decision-makers in the field of neuroscience. We offer a curriculum that allows our students to master the many intricacies of the field. This includes a core curriculum during the first two years and then subsequent engagement in mentored research. Our students interact with and work with world-class faculty on our campus in Oklahoma City. And, they have the opportunity to learn from national leaders who visit our campus through ongoing seminars and quarterly symposia.  Further, we are uniquely led by both the Graduate College and the Department of Neurological Surgery. As a result, our students get to work with leading clinician scientists who are conducting translational neuroscience that directly impacts and benefits patients. 

Zachary A. Smith, M.D.         David Sherry, Ph.D. Co-Directors, Neuroscience Ph.D. Program

Biophysics & Neuroscience

Large-scale imaging reveals neural Ca2+ dynamics across cortex in active mice (Schnitzer group)

Biophysics in the Department of Applied Physics explores the physical laws governing life

Billions of years of evolution has led to a rich diversity of biological processes that exploit the laws of physics in fascinating ways to grow, move, learn and compute, in a manner that far eludes the capabilities of our best artificially engineered machines. The Department of Applied Physics is dedicated to understanding all aspects of life across multiple scales of spatiotemporal organization, including how complex molecular machines function at the nanoscale, how systems of interacting chemicals give rise to life at the cellular scale, how higher level perceptions, thoughts and actions emerge from networks of neurons, how networks of species interact to give rise to complex ecologies, and how the nature of evolutionary dynamics can give rise to the diversity of life itself.

Biophysics research within the Department of Applied physics is characterized by a tight interplay between theory, experiment, and technology development, all driven by an intense desire to elucidate the physical laws governing life. Such research has lead to novel measurement technologies, like optical tweezers, microfluidic assays, and miniature microscopes, that enable us to probe the immense richness of biological dynamics in fundamentally new ways. Moreover, the resultant datasets are analyzed using state of the art methods from machine learning and high dimensional statistics, and such analyses lead to new theoretical models of biological phenomena, grounded in nonlinear dynamics, statistical mechanics, control theory, and theories of information processing and computation. And in turn, these theories themselves drive the design of new experiments and measurement technologies.

As a result of this highly interdisciplinary interaction between technology, experiments, analysis and theory, the biophysics effort within Applied Physics is tightly connected to many other departments on campus, including physics, biology, biochemistry, genetics, neurobiology, electrical engineering, and computer science. Also, our faculty are tightly embedded in many institutes across campus, including Bio-X , the Wu-Tsai Neurosciences Institute , the Center for Brain, Mind, Computation and Technology , the Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence , the Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics , and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Biosciences Programs .

We explore:

Molecular and cellular biophysics.

• Steve Block
• Sebastian Doniach
• Steve Quake

Neuroscience

• Surya Ganguli
• Mark Schnitzer

Evolution and Ecology

• Daniel Fisher
• Benjamin Good

Example traces of neural Ca2+ activity traces acquired by epi-fluorescence imaging (Schnitzer Group)

Map of the 1,166 cells identified computationally in epi-fluorescence Ca2+ videos (Schnitzer Group)

An estimated 25,000–50,000 GCaMP6f-expressing pyramidal cells are optically accessible through the crystal skull by one-photon Ca2+ imaging (Schnitzer Group)

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• Medical physics

Changing research field from astrophysics to neuroscience

Changing career path can be daunting but there are big rewards for those who are brave enough to switch. M S Zobaer describes his unexpected journey from dusty plasmas to neuroscience

What do our brains have to do with dusty plasmas in outer space? Such a question had never occurred to me when I embarked on my BSc in physics at Jahangirnagar University , in my home country of Bangladesh. To me, physics meant particles, mechanics and electricity. As a child I had been curious about how things work, breaking my electric toys to get to the motor and making my own bicycle rearlight. This fascination never went away, which is why I decided to study the subject to a higher level.

My introduction to the world of research came in the form of an MSc course at Jahangirnagar University under the supervision of the plasma physicist Abdullah Al Mamun . I worked on modelling nonlinear wave propagation under various conditions in dusty plasmas – clouds of ions, free electrons and charged dust particles in space. While learning about nonlinear wave dynamics, I developed several skills: advanced mathematical techniques, developing computer simulations with the correct parameters, and writing research papers. I enjoyed my MSc project, and felt inspired by my supervisor to continue in academic research.

After completing my MSc, I took a job as a lecturer in physics at the Bangladesh University of Textiles in Dhaka, while looking for a suitable PhD. I had my heart set on doing a theoretical project in astrophysics, plasma or nuclear physics, as I wanted to continue working in a subject closely related to my MSc thesis. PhD programmes are competitive already, but an additional complication for me was that I needed to find one that was fully funded, because my family could not support me financially. In fact, I had to decline the first two PhD offers I received because they came only with a partial scholarship.

Casting the net wide

I began to reach out to different professors, hoping that I could be put in touch with a potential PhD supervisor. Peter A Robinson , a neuroscientist at the University of Sydney , Australia, replied to me suggesting that I could consider other fields besides astrophysics. He talked about nonlinear dynamics in neural models, which are based on physical principles and mathematical derivations.

That reply spurred me to think deeply about my options, as my goal was really to become a researcher in astrophysics. I therefore decided to apply for an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS), which is an Australian programme to support international students. As the application for the scholarship; and the application for admission to the PhD programmes were combined in one form, I ticked all the programmes offering scholarships that could cover full tuition fees and living costs in Australia.

I was fortunate enough to receive an IPRS, which was my next step to becoming a researcher, but one thing made me hesitate: the offer was to do a PhD in theoretical and computational neuroscience. Despite my conversations with Peter Robinson, I was still not completely convinced I could move into neuroscience. I had always thought of it as a field of medicine, and I was confused about how I could contribute to this area with a background in physics. My parents had similar concerns and were not sure how I could advance my career by starting a project that seemed unrelated to what I had studied so far.

A fresh start

I did some research of my own, and I was surprised to learn that in 1963 the Nobel Prize for Physiology/Medicine had been awarded to scientists for elucidating the transmission of electrical signals along neurons – essentially underpinned by physics principles. I found out that many physicists are involved in neural modelling, and I began to see how I could take the knowledge and skills I had gained while modelling plasma systems and apply them to modelling brain dynamics.

I began to see how I could take the knowledge and skills I had gained while modelling plasma systems and apply them to modelling brain dynamics

I sought advice from my MSc supervisor who told me that, across all disciplines, being a successful researcher requires dedication and time. He advised me to think hard about what I wanted to do and whether I could commit myself to this new topic, as would be necessary to give myself the best chance of success. Peter Robinson encouraged me, saying that he had also done research on plasmas before moving to neuroscience, and described similarities between the mathematics and physics underpinning both topics. This gave me more confidence to accept the PhD offer, because he knew my background and believed that I could succeed in neuroscience. The positive advice I had received from my MSc supervisor and my prospective PhD supervisor also convinced my parents that it was worth trying. I told myself and my parents that I would give myself four to five years to see if I could succeed and then, if it hadn’t worked out after this time, I would return to an office job in Bangladesh.

With this fresh outlook, I moved to Australia to begin my PhD at the University of Sydney. This was the first time I had moved abroad. I had no close relatives in Australia, and it meant starting a completely new life, in a city where people of different cultures from all over the world live. I learned to adapt to a new way of living, and how to meet people and make friends in a new environment. Australia is full of natural beauty, and I loved exploring the beaches and parks while I was there.

Connecting the dots

As I began my PhD research, I learned that the basic brain signal is made up of sine and cosine waves, and the processing is based on fundamental physical and mathematical laws, where potential, amplitude and wavelength play important roles. I studied a neural model of evoked potentials, which are electrical signals produced in specific patterns in response to certain stimuli.

In my first project, I compared evoked potentials and the corresponding brainwave characteristics during sleep and wake. I found that my physics studies had already taught me about many of the important concepts: voltage, current, peak value, frequency, superposition, overlapping, envelopes, threshold value, fluid flow and ion channels were all familiar to me.

In my second project I used the same neural model to investigate how the evoked potentials were affected when the level of neural connectivity is varied. The idea was to find out which conditions reproduced the evoked potentials that we see in abnormal electroencephalograms. While mathematical modelling of every system is unique, with its own conditions and assumptions, I found that each neural model was based on physical laws and developed through mathematical equations. Surprisingly, my work comparing brainwaves under different conditions reminded me a lot of my MSc thesis work, when I had compared the properties of nonlinear waves in plasma models with different densities of charged dust particles.

Each neural model was based on physical laws and developed through mathematical equations

In my last project, I studied the circadian rhythm and light-sensitive proteins called opsins, which are found in the photoreceptors of eyes. In addition to the computational modelling skills I had developed, my physics knowledge about light properties was invaluable during this project. I combined physical equations that I had learned during my BSc with neuroscience concepts and unified them in a model of the interactions between opsins and different wavelengths of light. One difficulty I noticed during this project was that the same physical property is defined differently in different fields of science. For example, scientists from some disciplines used the term “spectral power” to describe something that physicists would call “spectral irradiance”. In physics, these two terms mean very different things and have different units, so I needed to clearly define the concepts I was using to allow researchers from all backgrounds to easily understand my work.

Looking to the future

Shortly after attending my PhD graduation ceremony in Sydney, I received my first postdoctoral offer, funded by the Postdoctoral International Exchange Programme, to work on mathematical modelling of seizures. The programme was at Xi’an Jiaotong University in China. I moved to Xi’an, another beautiful city, and worked there for almost seven months.

Combining physics and biology: lasers and machine learning for personalized medicine

Soon after, I got an offer of another postdoctoral position, this time to work on a project funded by the National Institutes of Health in the US. To take up this position, I moved to the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston , which is part of Texas Medical Center , the largest medical centre in the world. Since then, I have been working on a long-term research project on sleep–wake neuroscience under the supervision of Yuri A Dabaghian , another great mentor in my career. I still use ideas I first learnt in physics, such as Fourier transforms and other advanced mathematical techniques, to analyse the oscillations of different brainwave frequencies. Although I am the only physicist working on my current project, I now know several other researchers working on neuroscience projects who have come from other related disciplines such as biochemistry and pharmacy.

Looking back on my career path so far, I can say that the future is unpredictable, with an infinite number of influencing factors called “luck”. But with hard work, we can take advantage of the opportunities that come our way and may surprise ourselves by succeeding in a field we had never considered. Changing topic might be a challenge, but one thing that is common to all research fields is that they require dedication and patience. If we are willing to work hard and invest time in establishing a research career, these are the main attributes that will help us to succeed, no matter which topic we end up researching.

M S Zobaer’s tips for switching research topics and moving abroad

• Think about whether there are any similarities between your new topic and what you were studying before, and think about whether you can commit yourself to the new field
• Take time to read literature reviews of your new topic before you start your research
• Make sure you clearly define all the terms you use, so that the researchers you work with who have different backgrounds can understand your work
• Try not to compare the food, culture and life in your new home with that in your home country – just think of it as different, not better or worse
• Always keep hard copies of your passport, visa and documents in your bag in case of an emergency

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M S Zobaer is a physicist working on neuroscience research projects at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, US

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Physics (Ph.D.)

Why pursue a Ph.D. in physics at UNH?

Expand your career opportunities within academia, industry or research through our physics Ph.D. program. You’ll work through a core curriculum exploring the fundamental areas of physics while also engaging with electives in your area of interest. You’ll apply advanced methodologies while conducting original research. If you are interested in teaching physics, you’ll also have the opportunity to pursue a cognate in college teaching. As a doctoral student in our program, you’ll have the opportunity to receive support through teaching assistantships, research assistantships or fellowships.

Program Highlights

The Department of Physics offers excellent research opportunities for graduate students. UNH physicists are engaged in world-class research in applied optics, condensed matter, nuclear and particle physics, education, and high energy theory and cosmology. The Space Science Center fosters research and education in all the space sciences, ranging from the ionosphere to the Earth's magnetosphere, the local solar system, and out to the farthest reaches of the universe. In addition, UNH has just reached the top tier of research universities, Carnegie Classification R1, and our research portfolio brings in more than $110 million in competitive external funding each year.

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Curriculum & Requirements

Program description.

The Physics Ph.D. program prepares students for a career in industry, education, research or academia. Students will progress from studying a core curriculum encompassing fundamental areas of physics to taking elective classes in their area of interest. They will then conduct original research in a particular research area, leading to their PhD dissertation and defense.

For more details, please consult the physics graduate student handbook .

Requirements for the Program

Degree requirements.

For Space Science students, these courses must include Plasma Physics ( PHYS 951 ) , Magnetohydrodyamics of the Heliosphere ( PHYS 953 ) , and one of Magnetospheres ( PHYS 987 ) , Heliospheric Physics ( PHYS 954 ) .

Students are required to

• demonstrate proficiency in teaching,
• pass the written comprehensive exam, and
• pass an oral qualifying exam on a thesis proposal.

Degree candidates are required to

• register for a minimum of two semesters of PHYS 999 Doctoral Research ,
• pass the oral dissertation defense, and
• successfully submit the final dissertation to the Graduate School.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Students will master the theoretical concepts in advanced mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics at the graduate level.
• Students will have an advanced understanding of the mathematical methods, both analytical and computational, required to solve complex physics problems at the graduate level.
• Students will be proficient in experimental physics.
• Students will develop and demonstrate proficiency in teaching at the undergraduate level.
• Students will have a specialized knowledge of their chosen field of advanced research in physics.
• Students will be able to present advanced scientific ideas effectively in both written and oral form.
• Students will be well prepared for postgraduate study in physics and related disciplines, as well as advanced careers in a multitude of fields ranging from scientific and technical to financial.

Application Requirements & Deadlines

Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:

• Fall : Jan. 15 (for funding); after that on rolling basis until April 15
• Spring : N/A
• Summer : N/A
• Special : Spring admission by approval only

Application fee : $65

Campus : Durham

New England Regional : VT

Accelerated Masters Eligible : No

New Hampshire Residents

Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form . This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission or you will not be able to register for classes.

Transcripts

If you attended UNH or Granite State College (GSC) after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester, UNH Non-Degree work and GSC. 

If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.

If admitted , you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:

• Electronic Transcripts : Please have your institution send the transcript directly to [email protected] . Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
• Paper Transcripts : Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.

Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.

Letters of recommendation: 3 required

Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.

GRE Optional

The GRE scores are optional, if you wish to provide scores please email the scores directly to the department once you have submitted your application online.

Personal Statement/Essay Questions

Prepare a brief but careful statement regarding:

• Reasons you wish to do graduate work in this field, including your immediate and long-range objectives.
• Your specific research or professional interest and experiences in this field.

Important Notes

All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.

International Applicants

Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.

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Physics, PhD

Zanvyl krieger school of arts and sciences, admission requirements.

To obtain admission, a student is expected to submit evidence that they have a good chance to succeed. 

A complete application will include:

• Statement of purpose. We look for a thoughtful, well-written statement that shows the ability to overcome challenges, dedication to attain chosen goals, a capacity for creativity, an understanding of physics and/or astronomy, and any other indication of potential for research.
• Three letters of recommendation. Recommendation letters should help us evaluate your capacity for research, the most important criterion for admission.
• Transcripts of all previous work. Transcripts submitted with the application may be unofficial transcripts. Successful applicants who accept the offer of admission must supply an official transcript before they can begin the PhD program at JHU. In the case of students in the final year of their bachelors program, the official transcript must show completion of all coursework required for the degree.
• TOEFL or IELTS for international students. A reproduction is acceptable. Johns Hopkins prefers a minimum score of 600 (paper-based) or 250 (computer-based) or 100 (Internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
• $75 non-refundable application fee. The application fee may be waived .

Note: submission of General GRE and Physics GRE scores is optional.

Successful applicants applying in the last year of their Bachelor’s program will need to demonstrate the completion of their Bachelor’s degree program before they can begin the Ph.D. program at JHU.

Program Requirements

The Ph.D. program has strong emphasis on early and active involvement in graduate research. Thus, students are required to have a research advisor and file a research summary every semester they are enrolled in the program, starting with the first one. Furthermore, students must complete the required courses with a grade of B- or better; the coursework is typically done over the first two years. In the beginning of the second year, students complete the research examination, and in the beginning of the third year – the University’s Graduate Board Oral examination, both of which are based on completed or proposed research. During the first two years, students are typically involved in introductory research projects, which may or may not be related to their thesis work, and sometimes work with several different advisors, but they must identify (and have an agreement with) a thesis advisor no later than the beginning of their third year in the program, after which point students focus on their thesis research. The thesis is to be completed by no later than the end of the 6th year, ending with an oral presentation of the thesis to a faculty committee.

Course Requirements

Ph.d. in physics.

Students must complete the following courses:

Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Students in both programs must receive at least a B- in each required course, or they will be required to retake the specific course once more and pass it.

The department offers a wide range of graduate physics, astrophysics, mathematical methods and statistics classes, and while only five are required, the students are encouraged to use the flexibility of the graduate program and the available classes to design programs of study that best prepare them for their chosen area of research. In addition to the required courses listed above, below is the list of the graduate courses that have been taught in recent years:

Research and Advising

The principal goal of graduate study is to train the student to conduct original research. Therefore, physics and astronomy graduate students at Johns Hopkins are involved in research starting in their first semester in the program.

First and Second-Year Research Requirement

By the end of September, the student chooses their first research advisor among the professorial faculty and starts working on the first-semester research project. If the proposed research advisor does not hold a primary appointment as a tenure-track or research faculty member in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, the form must be co-signed by a PHA faculty member, who will provide mentorship  (relevant department faculty members list) . This requirement holds for all semesters of research. The first-semester project continues through intersession in January. The spring-semester research project continues until the end of the spring semester. The summer semester lasts from June through August. Students may continue with one advisor through the entire first year, or they may choose to cycle through several different research advisers from one semester to the next.

This system of semester projects continues during the first two years of the program, when students also complete required coursework. The nature of these first- and second-year research projects varies from student to student, from advisor to advisor and from one sub-field of physics to another. Some may be self-contained research projects that lead to published scientific papers and may or may not be related to the thesis research in later years.  Listing of recent publications by our graduate students . Others may comprise reading or independent-study projects to develop background for subsequent research. In other cases, they may be first steps in a longer-term research project.

This system accommodates both the students who have chosen the direction of their thesis work before graduate school and those who would like to try a few different things before committing to a long-term project. As students get more familiar with the department and the research opportunities, they zero in on their thesis topic and find a thesis advisor. This may happen any time during the first two years, and students are required to find a thesis advisor by the beginning of the third year.

Thesis Research and Defense

Securing a mutual agreement with a thesis advisor is one of the most important milestones of our graduate program. Students must find a thesis advisor and submit the thesis advisor form before the first day of their 3rd year. The form represents a long-term commitment and serious efforts in planning and communication between the student and the advisor. If the proposed thesis advisor does not hold a primary appointment as a tenure-track or research faculty member in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, the form must be co-signed by a PHA faculty member, who will serve as the departmental advisor of record (relevant department faculty members list) . 

After the student chooses a thesis advisor, the student forms their Thesis Committee consisting of three faculty members in the Dept. of Physics and Astronomy (PHA). At least two should be tenure track faculty with primary appointments in PHA. An external advisor may be added as the fourth member of the committee. These committees function as extended advisory bodies; students have the opportunity to discuss their progress and problems with several faculty. They also conduct one formal annual review of each student’s progress.

Research leading to the dissertation can be carried out not only within the Department of Physics and Astronomy, but with appropriate arrangements, either partly or entirely at other locations if necessitated by the project goals. At the conclusion of thesis research, the student presents the written dissertation to the faculty committee and defends the thesis in an oral examination.

Requirements for the M.A. Degree

Although the department does not admit students who intend to pursue the master’s degree exclusively, students in the department’s Ph.D. program and students in other Ph.D. programs at Johns Hopkins may apply to fulfill the requirements for the M.A. degree in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Students from other JHU departments must seek approval from their home department and from the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Before beginning their M.A. studies, students must have mastered the undergraduate physics material covered by the following courses:

Courses taken elsewhere may qualify at the discretion of the Graduate Program Committee (normally this requirement is satisfied by the Ph.D.-track students before they arrive at JHU as they have completed a B.A. or B.Sci. in Physics at another institution).

To qualify for the M.A. degree in Physics, students must complete eight one-semester 3-credit graduate-level courses in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and pass the departmental research exam. For the M.A. degree in Astronomy, students must complete eight one-semester 3-credit graduate-level courses in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, plus the seminar “Language of Astrophysics” and pass the departmental research exam. The student must receive a grade of B- or above in each of the courses; graduate courses can be retaken once in case of failure.

Of the eight one-semester courses, four must be the core courses listed above in the Ph.D. requirements and two must be Independent Graduate Research courses. The remaining two course requirements for the M.A. degree may be fulfilled either by 3-credit graduate electives or by additional Independent Graduate Research. The research courses must include an essay or a research report supervised and approved by a faculty member of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Under most circumstances students pursuing their Ph.D. qualify for the M.A. degree by the end of their second year if they have taken all four core courses in their discipline at JHU, the “Language of Astrophysics” seminar (for M.A. in Astronomy), four semesters of Independent Graduate Research, and passed the research exam. Graduate courses taken at another institution or in another department at JHU in most cases do not count toward the M.A. requirements (therefore, students who are interested in the M.A. degree, but are planning to waive any graduate courses because they have passed a comparable graduate course at another institution, should discuss their eligibility for the M.A. degree with the Academic Program Administrator as soon as they arrive at JHU). Students should expect that no M.A. requirements can be waived; that the minimal research requirement is two semesters; and that at most one of the core courses can be substituted by another (non-research) graduate course in exceptional circumstances. Any requests for M.A. course substitutions must be made to the Graduate Program Committee at least a year before the expected M.A. degree so that the committee can recommend an appropriate substitution.

Neuroscience

About the Program

Declaring the major.

Students may declare the Neuroscience major when they have fulfilled the following requirements:

• Completed  CHEM 1A / CHEM 1AL
• Completed  BIOLOGY 1A / BIOLOGY 1AL
• Completed  MATH 1A / MATH 1B  or  MATH 10A / MATH 10B
• Enrolled in or completed  PHYSICS 8A
• Have a GPA of 2.0 or higher in lower division major requirements, upper division major requirements, and UC Berkeley cumulative GPA

Visit Program Website

Major Requirements

Lower division, upper division, neuroscience course plans can be found on this page ., college requirements.

Undergraduate students must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For a detailed lists of L&S requirements, please see Overview tab to the right in this guide or visit the L&S Degree Requirements webpage. For College advising appointments, please visit the L&S Advising Pages. 

University of California Requirements

Entry level writing.

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley and must be taken for a letter grade. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and American Institutions requirements are based on the principle that all U.S. residents who have graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

Berkeley Campus Requirement

American cultures.

All undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass this campus requirement course in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses are plentiful and offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

College of Letters & Science Essential Skills Requirements

Quantitative reasoning.

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer/data science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course taken for a letter grade.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work taken for a letter grade.

Reading and Composit ion

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing, and critical thinking the College of Letters and Science requires two semesters of lower division work in composition in sequence. Students must complete parts A & B reading and composition courses in sequential order by the end of their fourth semester for a letter grade.

College of Letters & Science 7 Course Breadth Requirements

Breadth requirements.

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship. Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

120 total units

Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

• Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department

Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters & Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes at Cal for four years, or two years for transfer students. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you graduate early, go abroad for a semester or year, or want to take courses at another institution or through UC Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to meet an L&S College adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your B.A. degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley Summer Session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the college.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP), Berkeley Summer Abroad, or the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding UCEAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

UC and Campus Requirements

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by satisfying the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR).  The  UC Entry Level Writing Requirement website  provides information on how to satisfy the requirement.

The American History and Institutions (AH&I) requirements are based on the principle that a US resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

Campus Requirement

The American Cultures requirement is a Berkeley campus requirement, one that all undergraduate students at Berkeley need to pass in order to graduate. You satisfy the requirement by passing, with a grade not lower than C- or P, an American Cultures course. You may take an American Cultures course any time during your undergraduate career at Berkeley. The requirement was instituted in 1991 to introduce students to the diverse cultures of the United States through a comparative framework. Courses are offered in more than fifty departments in many different disciplines at both the lower and upper division level.

Student Learning Goals

• Understand brain function at the cellular, molecular, and circuit levels, and how these mediate behavior: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the brain, and how this contributes to cognition and behavior. Understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie brain development.
• Understand the nature of neural computation: Understand the computational principles of brain function, including computational neuroscience approaches to studying brain and behavior, and computational tools for analyzing and interpreting complex data sets.
• Disease mechanisms and pathways: Gain in-depth knowledge of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neurological diseases, including neurodegenerative, neuropsychiatric, and neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Scientific research skills: Develop proficiency in research methods, including experimental design, data collection, and data analysis. Acquire hands-on experience with techniques such as neuroimaging, electrophysiology, molecular methods, and behavioral analysis.
• Integration of multidisciplinary knowledge: Understand the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience by integrating knowledge from biology, psychology, chemistry, physics, and other fields.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving: Cultivate critical thinking skills to analyze complex scientific concepts and research findings. Develop the ability to identify and solve scientific problems related to neuroscience.
• Scientific communication: Learn to effectively communicate complex scientific concepts and findings, in writing and verbally. Read primary scientific literature and present scientific results.

All students interested in the Neuroscience major should come in for major advising as soon as possible starting their first semester on campus for individualized assistance. Staff advisors can assist with a wide range of matters including academic course planning, research, career, and graduate school goals.

Undergraduate Advising: [email protected]

Advising Appointments: neuroscience.berkeley.edu/academics/undergraduate/advising

Contact Information

130 Barker Hall

[email protected]

Program Director

Prof. Dan Feldman

189 Weill Hall

Phone: 510-643-1723

[email protected]

Undergraduate Advising Office

3060 Valley Life Sciences Building

Phone: 510-643-8895

[email protected]

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ACN6372 - The Neuroscience of Pain

ACN 6372 ( HCS 6372 ) The Neuroscience of Pain (3 semester credit hours) A systems-oriented course covering the anatomical and physiologic basis of pain. The course describes the basic features of neural processing of pain signals in the spinal cord and brain, the anatomy and the function of the descending systems that can control transmission of pain signals, and peripheral and central sensitization. The physiological and molecular basis for treatment of pain is discussed. Prerequisites: BBSC majors only and department consent required. (3-0) Y

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Anna Cliffe, PhD, Awarded $2.7 Million to Study How ATRX Protein Protects Against Herpes Simplex Virus, which impacts more than 60% of the U.S. population.

May 30, 2024 by [email protected]

Anna Cliffe, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, was awarded a $2.7 million R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health for a project titled “The role of ATRX in both promoting the establishment of HSV latency and restricting reactivation.”

The Cliffe lab studies mechanisms of Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) latent infection and reactivation in neurons. More than 60% of the U.S. population is infected with the virus, which can cause a range of disease outcomes, including oral and genital lesions, keratitis, and encephalitis, and potentially contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The virus persists for life as a latent infection of neurons and can periodically reactivate in response to a variety of stimuli to cause disease.   LEARN MORE

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Maurie mcinnis named yale’s next president.

Maurie McInnis (Photo by Dan Renzetti)

Yale University has appointed Maurie McInnis ’96 Ph.D. to serve as its 24th president.

McInnis, now president of Stony Brook University, was the unanimous choice of the Yale Board of Trustees, Josh Bekenstein ’80, senior trustee and chair of the presidential search committee, said Wednesday in a message to the Yale community .

“ A compelling leader, distinguished scholar, and devoted educator, she brings to the role a deep understanding of higher education and an unwavering commitment to our mission and academic priorities,” Bekenstein wrote on behalf of the full board. “Her experience and accomplishments over the past three decades have prepared her to lead Yale in the years ahead.”

McInnis, a cultural historian, succeeds Peter Salovey, who is returning to the faculty fulltime after 11 years as president. She starts July 1.

The search for Yale’s 24th leader was “robust” and designed “to cast a wide net and to gain different perspectives on the ideal qualities and qualifications of the next president,” Bekenstein said. The search committee received input from thousands of Yale students, faculty, staff, alumni, and members of the New Haven community through listening sessions, individual meetings, webform entries, and a student survey. It also consulted with leaders in and beyond higher education.

“ The committee’s subsequent deliberations drew from all your comments and suggestions,” Bekenstein wrote in the message.

In McInnis, who first joined Yale in 1989 as a graduate student in the Department of the History of Art, the committee “was excited by a leader who brought new perspectives from around the country and cared deeply about the best of Yale’s traditions.”

Over a three-decade career in higher education, McInnis has held teaching, research, and leadership roles, Bekenstein wrote, and for nearly two decades, has served in a series of senior positions at three “iconic universities.” At the University of Virginia, she shaped undergraduate academic programs as an associate dean and led academic affairs as a vice provost; at the University of Texas at Austin she was the provost. And as Stony Brook’s current president, she is responsible for the academics, research, and operations of a flagship university for the State of New York, as well as for Long Island’s “premier medical center,” which provides care for the entire region, Bekenstein said.

At Stony Brook, McInnis also shares responsibility for overseeing Brookhaven National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy facility for particle physics and nuclear energy, data, and quantum information sciences. And as the inaugural chair of the board of the New York Climate Exchange, she led the establishment of an international climate change solutions center in New York City.

“ By working with universities, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community leaders, she has helped create a vibrant center that will improve the environment in New York City and provide solutions to the climate crisis that cities around the world can adopt,” Bekenstein said.

As a scholar, McInnis has also contributed significantly to her field, Bekenstein noted. She has written and edited numerous books and articles focused on the politics of art and slavery in the 19th-century American South, and has co-curated and contributed research to exhibitions and archival projects, winning prizes and other accolades.

“ Since her graduation from Yale, she has lived up to the mission of our university,” Bekenstein said, leading “with an unshakeable commitment to education and research for the common good.”

McInnis has also devoted herself to Yale, becoming a trustee in 2022, “volunteering her time and energy for our university’s future,” Bekenstein said.

“ From her service on the board, she appreciates what our community has achieved in realizing the university’s academic priorities,” he wrote. “She is committed to building on the momentum of President Peter Salovey’s leadership and finding new ways to advance the university’s commitment to extraordinary teaching and research that benefit people around the globe. She knows from her time at Yale and experience across the country the importance of creating an environment that encourages both vigorous debate and a deep sense of inclusivity and belonging.”

“ Maurie and I have been colleagues for years. We have worked together as presidents of member institutions of the Association of American Universities and as fellow trustees on the Yale Corporation. Her record as a leader, educator, and scholar reveals a deeply held belief in the power of education to improve the lives of individuals and strengthen communities.

“ In all her leadership positions, she has championed students and faculty members, opening new avenues for teaching, research, and scholarship. She has lived Yale’s mission to improve the world today and for future generations. I look forward to supporting Maurie in a role that has meant so much to me.”

McInnis returns to Yale and New Haven with her husband, Dean Johnson, who is retired from a career in business, and their two children.

When McInnis arrived at Yale as a graduate student 35 years ago, she said in her own message Wednesday , “I was welcomed into a community that valued curiosity, connection, excellence, and impact. Faculty members, fellow students, staff, and alumni fostered curiosity, encouraged connections between people and academic disciplines, and challenged one another to not only excel in our fields, but also to apply our abilities in improving the world. Those qualities shaped my life and career as I became an educator and art historian and took on leadership roles at universities, and they are the reasons I am excited and eager to return to Yale and New Haven as the next president of our university.”

McInnis’s top priority upon assuming the Yale presidency “is to reconnect with those I know and to meet so many more of you,” she wrote. “You make this university what it is. The community environment that brought me to Yale was created by those who came before us and has been sustained and enriched by all of us.”

She said she looks forward to introducing her family “to all that I love about our campus and home city. I know that they are excited to join me as I fall back into the routine of my youth and drop into all the art galleries and performances. We are especially excited to see the renovated Yale Peabody Museum. You will find us trying out pizza and all the great restaurants across the city and taking our dog, Angus, on long walks around campus and New Haven.”

In the years since she was a Yale student, McInnis said, “I have had the good fortune to come back to our campus regularly, as a colleague, an alumna, and in recent years as a trustee.

“ Over that time, I have seen Yale grow in incredible ways while maintaining the excellence and traditions that have been part of our university for over three centuries. Through immense challenges, under President Peter Salovey’s leadership, you have worked together to advance our mission of education, research, scholarship, preservation, and practice to improve the world. For that, I thank you and, especially, Peter. I am filling big shoes and am grateful to be stepping into the university at a time when the priorities are clear and the plan to achieve them is strong and bolstered by an excellent academic and administrative leadership team.”

Bekenstein, in his message, thanked the four faculty members who served on the search committee — Steven Berry, Daniel Colón-Ramos, Jacqueline Goldsby, and Anjelica Gonzalez — praising their “insights and deep commitment” and “partnership and collegiality.” He also thanked the student advisory council and Yale’s faculty, staff, and alumni “for helping to make our search process so robust.”

Berry, the David Swensen Professor of Economics in Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), professor of management, and faculty director of the Tobin Center for Economic Policy, said he is “particularly impressed by President-elect McInnis’s leadership on the university’s core mission: research, teaching, and professional practice. Through her work in multiple faculty and administrative roles at universities across the country, she has shaped major research and educational initiatives that support and advance our key academic values.”

Colón-Ramos, the Dorys McConnell Duberg Professor of Neuroscience and Cell Biology at FAS and director of Wu Tsai Institute’s Center for Neurodevelopment and Plasticity, described McInnis as “a humanist with a deep understanding and appreciation for the sciences.”

“ Both as provost of the University of Texas at Austin and as president of Stony Brook, she has led and implemented keystone STEM-based research and educational initiatives,” he said. “Yale is at a historic junction, in the midst of the implementation of the science strategic initiatives, and the experiences and interests of President-elect McInnis will help us continue to prioritize these areas and achieve their successful implementations.”

Goldsby, the Thomas E. Donnelly Professor of African American Studies and of English and professor of American Studies in FAS, praised the president-elect as a model scholar for faculty and students alike.

“ What excites me about President-elect McInnis is that she comes to the job as a practicing humanist in all dimensions,” she said. “Her books on antebellum visual culture are award-winning and represent the incisive, rigorous scholarship Yale faculty produce and that we want our students to study. Moreover, she’s made her work accessible to broad audiences through exhibitions and digital projects.

“ Yale will benefit from her commitment as a scholar and educator and from the breadth of her leadership experiences at large universities. She has an impressive ability to balance fostering scientific innovation with advancing humanistic inquiry at an impressive scale.”

And Gonzalez, professor of biomedical engineering at Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science and faculty director of the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale, underscored McInnis’s history of prioritizing “making a college education available to students of all backgrounds.”

“ She understands the power of education and is committed to continuing Yale’s progress in expanding access and affordability for students,” said Gonzalez, who is also head of Yale’s Davenport College. “I am certain she will foster new opportunities for students to grow and enter the world ready to thrive and make an impact. I also was impressed by how President-elect McInnis has established and advanced operations of transformative scientific initiatives, such as the New York Climate Exchange.

“ From what she has accomplished to date, I am confident that she will work with Yale faculty, students, staff, and alumni to realize our bold vision for the School of Engineering & Applied Science and our other strategic initiatives in the arts, humanities, and sciences.”

John King, chancellor of the State University of New York system, of which Stony Brook is part, praised McInnis as “an excellent president of SUNY’s Stony Brook University,” noting that she had hired “world-class faculty to accelerate Stony Brook’s research leadership,” secured a $500 million unrestricted endowment gift, and led Stony Brook’s “successful application — as the lead institution of the New York Climate Exchange — to develop a $700 million climate resilience campus on Governors Island.”

He continued: “Maurie’s commitment to advancing academic excellence, ensuring diversity and inclusion, and supporting outstanding faculty in doing their best teaching and research make her a phenomenal choice to lead Yale University. As a Yale alum, I am particularly excited about the impact Maurie’s passion for serving Pell-eligible students and increasing social mobility will have on the institution’s future.”

Now, Bekenstein wrote in his message to the Yale community, “We look forward to Maurie’s leadership of this institution, to working alongside you in supporting her, and to all that we will accomplish together in the years ahead.”

• Maurie McInnis returns to Yale in a new role: President-elect

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Karen Peart: [email protected] , 203-432-1345

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