Following completion of coursework and passing of a comprehensive examination, the student chooses a laboratory in which a dissertation project can be pursued. Upon completion of the research project, a dissertation is written and defended. In general, dissertation research projects are keyed to the research interests of the faculty. These interests are quite broad as there are over 50 members of the faculty who have their primary appointments in a wide range of different Departments, including Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biology, Cell Biology, Health Physics, Microbiology and Immunology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Pediatrics, Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics, Psychiatry, Psychology, and Radiology. Molecular and cellular approaches are applied toward the understanding of neuroplasticity, neurological and psychiatric disorders, cognition, and regulation of immune, endocrine and autonomic functions.
Special emphasis is placed on integrative systems neuroscience.
All students in the neuroscience program are required to maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average for all coursework. In addition, Journal club and research seminars must be attended. These 48 credits do not include credit for the thesis research or research rotation. In certain other areas, program performance requirements exceed those described in this catalogue for The Graduate School in general.