Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science - Cellular and Molecular

The NACS program offers a wide range of research and training opportunities for students who are interested in pursuing doctoral-level research in a variety of areas within neuroscience and cognitive science. Faculty research interests center around seven main areas: Cellular & Molecular, Sensory & Motor Systems, Computational Modeling & Theory, Language & Speech, Cognition & Emotion, Development & Aging, and Disorders & Treatment. Research approaches include both the theoretical and experimental, with several laboratories doing both. Research and training activities of NACS take place within the laboratories of faculty in 20 participating departments and units: Aerospace Engineering, Animal and Avian Sciences, Biology, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, English, Entomology, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Hearing and Speech Sciences, Human Development, Kinesiology, Linguistics, Philosophy, Psychology, and Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership, as well as the Center for Advanced Study of Language, the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, the Institute for Systems Research, the Maryland Neuroimaging Center, and the Second Language Acquisition program. The NACS program requires the completion of two required core courses and three out of five core courses, including introduction to neurosciences, cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience, cellular and molecular neuroscience, and cognitive science. The goal of the Program is to bring together the diverse perspectives and strengths of all the included disciplines in order to understand the working of the nervous system, the mind, and behavior.

Our researchers who study cellular and molecular neuroscience use state-of-the art experimental techniques to investigate the molecular machinery driving the development, plasticity, and degeneration of the nervous system. Research areas include the regulation of synapse formation, signaling cascades, development of sensory systems, learning, and memory formation.