The graduate program focuses on topics in cellular and molecular neurobiology, especially neurogenetics, ion channels, second messenger systems, organelle synthesis, and axonal transport. Students and postdoctoral fellows attend frequent neurobiology seminars and participate in a weekly journal club. Students commence laboratory rotations at matriculation and will have the opportunity to participate in at least three laboratory experiences before deciding upon a program of dissertation research. The laboratories involved in the neuroscience graduate program are well equipped for contemporary research in many areas of neurobiology, including molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, neuropharmacology, electrophysiology, membrane biophysics, neuroanatomy, and neurocytology. Currently, students receive a nationally competitive stipend plus a liberal health insurance allowance.
Most students receive a waiver of nonresident tuition.
Living and Housing Costs Students find attractive accommodations in the many privately owned apartment complexes, duplexes, and houses that exist nearby and rent at reasonable rates. A recent survey indicates that the cost of living in Dallas is one of the lowest for a major city in the United States. Students enrolled in the Graduate School, most of whom were working toward the Ph.D. degree, numbered 427. Also on the campus were 809 medical students and 350 students in the Southwestern Allied Health Sciences School. The Graduate Student Organization is very active on campus, and the International Visitors Network exists to assist students from other countries.