Program Overview

PhD in Neuroscience

The PhD in Neuroscience is a fully integrated joint venture of the two departments of neuroscience at NYU, which are located just a few city blocks apart: the Center for Neural Science (CNS) at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Neuroscience at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

Program Overview

Understanding the brain is one of the great scientific challenges. How does the nervous system allow us to sense, move, learn, decide, remember, and think? How are the underlying neural circuits built by genetic and molecular programs? How do neurons communicate via synapses to transmit and store information? What goes wrong in neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and schizophrenia, and in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease? And how can we model neurons, circuits, and systems to better understand the brain? Graduate students in our PhD program in neuroscience are addressing these questions at labs located across NYU, using cutting-edge tools drawn from genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, electrophysiology, microscopy, computer science, data science, and mathematics.

Research Areas

The program spans genetic, molecular, cellular, developmental, systems, behavioral, and computational levels. Research areas include:

• Genetic and molecular programs
• Neural circuits and systems
• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Neurodegenerative diseases
• Modeling neurons, circuits, and systems

Program Structure

Prospective graduate students apply through a single online portal, and applications are reviewed by a single joint admissions committee, with faculty from CNS and the Department of Neuroscience. Upon admission, students are enrolled in a single jointly administered program and are free to take classes and perform research at any lab in the closely-linked two departments.

Admissions

The admissions process involves a single joint admissions committee, with faculty from CNS and the Department of Neuroscience. Students apply through a single online portal.

Faculty and Resources

The program is supported by approximately 30 core neuroscience labs in each of the two departments, as well as affiliates from about 15 clinical neuroscience departments and the New York State Nathan Kline Institute. The faculty and resources provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary environment for graduate students to pursue their research interests.

Education and Training

The PhD program in neuroscience provides students with a comprehensive education and training in neuroscience, including coursework, research experience, and professional development opportunities. The program is designed to prepare students for careers in academia, industry, and other fields related to neuroscience.