| One of the most exciting
and dynamic fields of modern science worldwide is Neuroscience, the
study of how the nervous system is organized and how it functions.
The field of Neuroscience encompasses many disciplines, including
biology, biochemistry, computer sciences, electrical engineering (neural
modeling of neural networks and biomedical instrumentation), neurology,
neurosurgery, pharmacology, physics, physiology, psychology, psychiatry,
and radiology. Neuroscientists have advanced our understanding of
nervous system development, neural function, injuries of the nervous
system, and disease processes. At MU, neuroscientists investigate
the molecular and cellular organization of the nervous system, the
structure and function of neural systems (including vision and hearing),
behaviors generated by the nervous system, and neurological diseases
and disorders.
Almost 50 neuroscience faculty members provide an ample supply of research teams, and state-of-the-art equipment in these labs allows neuroscientists at MU to perform their research at the cutting edge. For example, students who choose to investigate how axons navigate through the dense neural jungle of the developing nervous system may perform differential hybridization analyses, time-lapse videomicroscopy, or do mRNA injections. Students who elect to study the brain mechanisms that underlie syntactic analysis during language comprehension may utilize functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), surface electrophysiological methods or transcranial optical imaging (EROS). Certificates in Neuroscience
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MU's
Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program offers talented graduate
students a chance to train for a career in one of the most exciting
fields of modern science. Most of our students pursue research and
teaching careers in basic neuroscience departments at prestigious
research universities. Others opt for challenging and rewarding
positions in applied fields, such as drug research or neurodiagnostic
technology. Whatever their ultimate goals, the graduate neuroscientists
who are trained at MU gain a solid understanding of the nervous
system and of the experimental methods by which this knowledge is
acquired. Our students don't just study neuroscience literature,
they contribute to it. After completing comprehensive coursework
in molecular, cellular, systems and behavioral neuroscience, graduate
students join a research laboratory, and work with other lab personnel
to master the relevant technical skills and theoretical concepts
in their chosen field. Students in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience
Program have the opportunity to present their findings at lab meetings,
seminars, journal club sessions, and both national and international
professional scientific conferences. 