neuroscience phd programs massachusetts

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Neuroscience Program

The neuroscience phd program at brandeis.

The Life Sciences Annual Pizza Party is held every year in late August. The party is held for graduate students, faculty and staff to celebrate the start of a new year at Brandeis.

The nationally recognized Neuroscience PhD program at Brandeis provides our students with an environment of unparalleled scientific research and training.

Why Do Neuroscience PhD Students Choose Brandeis?

World-class research program.

Neuroscience research faculty include Nobel Prize winners, National Academy of Sciences members, Howard Hughes Medical Investigators, and winners of the Kavli and Gruber Prizes and the MacArthur "Genius" Award.

Supportive and Collaborative Research Environment

Brandeis is a unique research environment in which a major research university is embedded within a small and intimate liberal arts college. This allows for a level of personal interaction with faculty that is difficult to achieve at larger institutions. The smaller nature of the program fosters interdisciplinary and collaborative research between neuroscience laboratories and labs in other programs, which students value as part of their broad science education.

Rigorous Training in Scientific Communication, Critical Thinking and Quantitative Approaches

We have a carefully designed curriculum that systematically teaches students the essence of rigorous scientific enquiry. Students attend and participate in weekly journal clubs, colloquia and student research seminars, all of which are designed to foster deep thought and discussion about the past, present and future state of neuroscience research.

Students are exposed to a series of courses that teach quantitative and cutting-edge approaches to research design and data analysis. Starting in their third year, students present their dissertation research to the entire neuroscience community for feedback and debate. The yearly presentation and subsequent discussions equip students with the skills and confidence they need to succeed in a variety of scientific endeavors.

Geographical Location of Brandeis

Our location in greater Boston means that Brandeis neuroscientists have access to one of the largest and most vibrant neuroscience communities in the world. Many Brandeis labs and students collaborate with our colleagues at sister research universities throughout greater Boston. Brandeis graduate students enjoy the flexibility to choose the lifestyle that they want — city (Boston) or town (Waltham) with easy public transportation options in either direction.

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• Undergraduate

Deadlines for 2023-2024 academic year

The deadline for PhD applications is 12/1/23. The MS application deadline is rolling through: May 1.

Neuroscience

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Neuroscience is an area of study within the Division of Medical Sciences, an administrative unit based at Harvard Medical School that coordinates biomedical PhD activities at the Longwood Medical Area. Students who study in neuroscience receive a PhD in neurobiology. Prospective students apply through the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS). In the online application, select  “Division of Medical Sciences” as your program choice and select "Neuroscience" in the area of study menu.

Neuroscience is one of the programs in the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences, which facilitates collaboration and cross-disciplinary research. Visit HILS for additional  application instructions .

This interdisciplinary program includes over 150 faculty members from several hospitals and campuses in the Boston area with a variety of backgrounds in all areas of neuroscience. You will receive a solid core foundation and will then be able to focus on the area that interests you most with specialized training.

You will have access to an impressive array of resources, including state-of-the-art labs, high-resolution microscopy facilities, animal cores, and an instrumentation core that can design custom behavioral chambers and other experimental apparatuses. You will have the opportunity to engage with the broader neuroscience community in several ways, including through the Harvard Brain Science Initiative (HBI), a cross-schools initiative among neuroscientists in the University and its affiliated hospitals.

Students are working on various projects such as studying how neural circuits generate behavior through the use of in vivo imaging to study neurons in awake, behaving animals; the development of the nervous system; the ways in which genes and molecules regulate neural function; and the electrical properties of neurons.

Graduates of the program have secured faculty positions at institutions such as Stanford University, Holy Cross University, Rutgers University, and Harvard University. Others have established careers with leading organizations such as Biogen, Google, and McKinsey & Company. 

Standardized Tests

GRE General: Not Accepted GRE Subject: Not Accepted iBT TOEFL minimum score: 100 IELTS minimum score: 7

See list of Neuroscience faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Program

Researchers in the Tonegawa lab identified the neurons (highlighted in red) where memory traces are stored in the mouse hippocampus. Image: Steve Ramirez, Xu Liu.

MIT is home to numerous world-class laboratories that are at the forefront of neuroscience research. These lab groups are focused on understanding nervous system function and the biological basis of brain disorders, and they engage in an abundance of interdepartmental collaborations across MIT. There are so many diverse opportunities to engage in neuroscience research at MIT that the options can be somewhat overwhelming.

With this in mind, the Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (MCN) program was developed for incoming PhD students in the departments of Biology and  Brain and Cognitive Sciences looking to explore research in this multidisciplinary field. The program provides an integrated track so that students have access to neuroscience-based laboratories across the entire MIT campus regardless of their affiliation. In addition, the MCN program provides a local community to support research and training in molecular and cellular neuroscience based on student input, initiatives such as seminars  and socials open for all interested student to attend and share in discussion, and elective courses to supplement the core departmental curriculums.

MCN students also have access to two major neuroscience research institutes, the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research . Innovative neuroscience research is being carried out across these areas, linking molecular and cellular fields with neuroengineering, systems neuroscience, neurodevelopment and neurochemistry. Powerful new tools and insights, many developed here at MIT, are creating a moment of extraordinary opportunity to unravel the mysteries of the brain. By employing a cross-disciplinary, multi-level approach to study the nervous system, research at MIT is breaking new ground in the search for how the brain forms and functions, and how neurological and psychiatric diseases affect these basic processes.

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Neuroscience & Behavior Graduate Program

Welcome to the Neuroscience & Behavior Program

The Neuroscience and Behavior (NSB) Graduate Program at UMass Amherst is one of eight Graduate Programs in the Life Sciences and part of a larger Neurosciences community at the University.  NSB brings together faculty members from various departments to provide exciting, cutting-edge research training. The program spans several areas of research including: Neuroendocrinology,  Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Animal Behavior and Learning, Neural and Behavioral Development, and Sensorimotor, Cognitive, and Computational Neuroscience. Find out more about the Initiative on Neurosciences (IONs) . Follow Neurosciences at UMass on Facebook and Twitter .

Program Overview  

News & announcements, congrats hannah cournoyer - ials translational research fellowship recipient.

Congratulations to Hannah Cournoyer who was just awarded with the IALS Translational Graduate Student Fellowship  regarding her work in the Lacreuse Lab!

The 2024 Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Conference is this Thursday! (5/30/24)

Join us this Thursday in the Student Union Ballroom (41 Campus Center Way, Amherst, MA 01002) for the 2024 Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Conference. Onsite registration will be available and the conference is open and also free for students, staff, and faculty. See more information about the keynote speakers  here and a schedule here .

Neuro Network has launched - join us next time!

Join us for Neuro Network! This is a bi-weekly neuroscience forum for trainees. There was a great turnout at the first event and we would like to give a special thanks to Erika Correll for spearheading this great community building event. This event will take playce every other Friday from 12-1:30pm, starting this week (May 24th).

UMass NSB is wishing you a happy holiday season and a happy New Year!

With the holiday season upon us, UMass NSB is sending joy and hopefully some rest to all! Additionally, congrats to another semester completed.

SciTech Cafe event this week (12/6)! 

Are you interested in learning about memory? Come hear all about it at this weeks SciTech Cafe talk given by our very own Dr. Margaret Stratton , at the Abandoned Building Brewery .The event is free (light refreshments provided!) and you'll have the opportunity to win prizes as well!  Additionally, you can bring your own snacks/dinner. Come join us for some fun and great scientific discussion!

Congrats to our very own Natasha De La Rosa-Rivera who started off the year strong as a Yale Ciencia Academy (YCA) fellow!

This June Natasha took a trip to Yale University to embark on a year long fellowship at the YCA for professional development. Over the course of the next year, Natasha will collaborate with 15 other science leaders across Puerto Rico and the U.S that share her understanding of the importance of inclusion and social impact. Learn more about the program in the press release attached here . 

NSB's Agnes Lacreuse, Stephanie Padilla, and Jenny Rauch awarded a grant from the Alzheimer's Association

Calling all cns grad students.

Happy end of the semester and start of summer! To celebrate, join your fellow grad students for an evening of food, fun, and trivia presented by CNS and Life Science Café and sponsored by your Graduate Student Organizations! Show off your science, UMass, and Sci-Fi knowledge on the 29th of June at 6pm at the Hangar Bar and Grill (10 University Dr., Amherst, MA)

We’ll buy the food and you buy the drinks! We hope to see you there!

Pre-register your trivia team and win an extra trivia point! Make a team ahead of time or join one day-of! Maximum of 8 people per group please. If there are more, feel free to break into two groups!

There will be questions across 5 different topics so get ready to be challenged!

Any questions? Please email: sglasser@umass.edu

Greg Pearson won a Trainee Professional Development Award!

Greg Pearson (3rd year PhD student in the Karatsoreos Lab) has won a Trainee Professional Development Award (TDPA) to attend the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) conference in San Diego. The competitive TPDA recognizes undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who demonstrate scientific merit and excellence in research. 

We are also excited that Greg's SfN abstract, exploring how the circadian clock alters the impact of viral inflammatory stimuli that access the brain via the intranasal route, was chosen for a NanoString Technologies Travel Grant. Congratulations Greg!

NSB graduate students publication expected to lead to a more precise understanding of the neuronal activity underlying patterns of drinking behavior which may play a role in the detrimental effects on mental health that differ by sex.

NSB Graduate Students ,  Annabelle Bonilla Flores and Andy Silva-Gotay, members of the Richardson Lab  have a recent publication in  Biology of Sex Differences.  To learn more about this research, see  Annabelle Flores-Bonilla’s Student Spotlight  featured in The Initiative on Neurosciences (IONs) and  Flores-Bonilla A, De Oliveria B, Silva-Gotay, A, Lucier KW, Richardson HN (2021). Shortening time for access to alcohol drives up front-loading behavior, bringing consumption in male rats to the level of females. Biology of Sex Differences.

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Psychology and Neuroscience

The Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Boston College offers two graduate programs, both research-oriented: a doctoral (Ph.D.) program and a Fifth Year M.A. program. Completion of the doctoral program typically requires four to five years of training after the bachelor’s degree. Completion of the Fifth Year M.A. program requires one consecutive year beyond the B.A. or B.S.

The Ph.D. program requires that students devote 100 percent of their time and effort to their studies, including summers. Students are admitted whose interests fall within or bridge one or more of our five areas of concentration, listed below. Our program requires adequate preparation, ability, maturity, and motivation to pursue a demanding program of individual research and scholarship. Because of our emphasis on research and on a mentoring relationship with one member of the faculty, a principal criterion for admission to our graduate programs is that a student’s interests be compatible with those of at least one member of the faculty. Each student is admitted to work with a faculty member as his/her advisor.

The Fifth Year M.A. program is limited to students who are majoring in Psychology or Neuroscience at Boston College. The program is designed to allow selected students to earn both a B.A. or B.S. and an M.A. in Psychology in five years. The purpose of the program is to allow students a greater opportunity for concentrated study and research training. Such training is excellent preparation for application to a Ph.D. program in any area of psychology. Undergraduate Psychology and Neuroscience majors may apply to continue their studies and to earn an M.A. with the equivalent of another, consecutive year of full-time study.

The areas of concentration in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience:

• Behavioral Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Quantitative and Computational Psychology
• Social Psychology

Visit the department’s website at bc.edu/psychology  for additional information on these areas.

General Information

Visit the department’s website at bc.edu/psychology  and find detailed information about the research interests of individual faculty members and the requirements for completing the program. For application materials or further information, visit the  Graduate School of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Admission  website.

The deadline for applications to the Ph.D. program is December 15. Applications are accepted for fall term admissions only. Applicants should submit:

• Application form
• Official transcripts
• Three letters of recommendation
• Statement of research interests
• Application fee

The GRE is optional.

The deadline for applications to the Fifth Year M.A. program is February 1 of the student’s junior year. Applicants should submit:

• Two letters of recommendation

Psychology and Neuroscience Courses

Psychology and Neuroscience Faculty

Psychology and Neuroscience Website

University Catalog Office of Student Services Lyons Hall 103

Neuroscience Where Disciplines Meet

Brainiacs how well do you know your own mind, b.r.a.i.n. day.

BU Neuroscience

You have reached the website of the university-wide neuroscience graduate and undergraduate training missions at Boston University. We are a diverse community of faculty, students, and staff who come from multiple departments, schools and colleges, and campuses of the university. Our individual disciplinary interests combine to form a comprehensive research and educational environment that rejects all forms of racism and thrives on our shared excitement for neuroscience.

Recent News

Congratulations to gpn student meagan lauber for her grand award, congratulations to gpn student nicholas cicero for his grand award, congratulations to rebecca suthard on successfully defending her thesis, congratulations to matt dunne on successfully defending his thesis.

Neuroscience Program Faculty

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Mark Alkema, PhD

• Neurobiology
• University of Amsterdam , BS
• University of Amsterdam , MS
• University of Amsterdam , PHD
• Email Address: Click to show email
• Phone: 508-856-6158
• Faculty Profile

Raffi Van Aroian, PhD

• Program in Molecular Medicine
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology , BS
• California Institute of Technology , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-8169
• RNA Therapeutics Institute

Neil Aronin, MD

• Higgins Family Professor in Neuroscience
• Medicine , Division: Endocrinology & Diabetes
• Duke University , BA
• University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine , MD
• Phone: 508-856-3239
• Radiology , Division: Cellular Biology & Imaging

Ingolf M. Bach, PhD

• Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology
• University of Konstanz , BA
• University of Konstanz , MA
• Paris Diderot University , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-5627

Milena Bogunovic, MD, PhD

Associate professor.

• Pathology , Division: Basic Pathology
• Mount Sinai School of Medicine , PHD
• Russian State Medical University , MD
• Phone: 508-856-1664

Daryl A. Bosco, PhD

• State University of New York, Binghamton , BS
• Brandeis University , PHD
• Phone: 774-455-3745
• Lab: https://www.umassmed.edu/boscolab

Gabriella Lutz Boulting, PhD

Assistant professor.

• University of California, Los Angeles , BS
• Harvard University , PHD
• Lab: https://www.boultinglab.com/

Michael H. Brodsky, PhD

• University of California, Berkeley , BA
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-1640

Robert H. Brown, MD, DPhil

• Donna M. and Robert J. Manning Chair in Neurosciences
• Neurology , Division: Neuromuscular
• Amherst College , BA
• Harvard Medical School , MD
• University of Oxford , DPHIL
• Phone: 508-334-1271
• Lab: https://www.umassmed.edu/brownlab/

Vivian Budnik, PhD

• Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research Chair I

Professor and Chair Emeritus

• University of Chile , BS
• Phone: 508-856-4341

Alexandra Catherine Byrne, PhD

• University of Toronto , PHD
• Yale University , Postdoc
• Phone: 508-856-8561

Rigel Chan, PhD

• National University of Singapore , BS
• National University of Singapore , MS
• Phone: 508-856-8034

David Micah Cochran, MD, PhD

• Barrett Family Term Chair in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Psychiatry , Division: Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
• Georgia Institute of Technology , BS
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology , MS
• University of Massachusetts Medical School ,

Silvia Corvera, MD

• Endowed Chair in Diabetes Research
• Colegio Madrid , BS
• Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico , MS
• Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico , MD

Michael Paul Czech, PhD

• Isadore and Fannie Foxman Chair in Medical Research

Professor Emeritus

• Brown University , BA
• Duke University , MA
• Brown University , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-2254

Roger J. Davis, PhD, FRS

• H. Arthur Smith Chair in Cancer Research

Chair and Professor

• Queens' College Cambridge , BA
• Queens' College Cambridge , MA
• Queens' College Cambridge , PHM
• Queens' College Cambridge , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-6054

Janice A. Dominov, PhD

• University of Rhode Island , BS
• Case Western Reserve University , PHD
• Phone: 774-455-3751

E. Kale Edmiston, PhD

• Psychiatry , Division: Psychiatry Research
• Hampshire College , BA
• Vanderbilt University , PHD

Charles P. Emerson Jr., PhD

• Neurology , Division: Wellstone Program
• Princeton University , BA
• University of California, San Diego , PHD
• Phone: 774-455-1571
• Lab: https://www.umassmed.edu/emersonlab

Patrick Emery, PhD

• University of Geneva , BS
• University of Geneva , MS
• University of Geneva , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-6599
• Lab: https://www.umassmed.edu/emerylab

Michael M. Francis, PhD

• University of Virginia , BA
• University of Florida , PHD

Jean A. Frazier, MD

• Robert M. and Shirley S. Siff Chair in Autism
• Wellesley College , BA
• Dartmouth Medical School , MD
• Phone: 774-455-4120

Kensuke Futai, PhD

• Kyushu University , BS
• Kyushu University , MS
• University of Tokyo , PHD
• Phone: 774-455-4318

Fen-Biao Gao, PhD

• Governor Paul Cellucci Chair in Neuroscience Research
• Peking University , BS
• Tsinghua University , MS
• Duke University , PHD
• University College London , Postdoc
• University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) , Postdoc
• Phone: 508-856-8504
• Lab: https://www.umassmed.edu/fen-biaogaolab

Guangping Gao, PhD

• Penelope Booth Rockwell Chair in Biomedical Research 
• Microbiology and Physiological Systems
• West China University of Medicine , MBBS
• Florida International University , MS
• Florida International University , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-3563
• Lab: https://www.umassmed.edu/gaolab/

Matthew J. Gounis, PhD

• State University of New York, Buffalo , BS
• State University of New York, Buffalo , MS
• University of Miami , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-1884

Heather Leigh Gray-Edwards, DVM, PhD

• University of Arizona , BS
• Auburn University , DVM
• Auburn University , PhD
• Auburn University , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-2262

Paul Lieberman Greer, PhD

• Harvard College , BA

Nikolaus Grigorieff, PhD

• University of Bristol , PHD

Lisa L. Hall-Anderson, PhD

• Colorado College , BA
• University of California, Davis , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-6016

John P. Haran, MD, PhD

• Emergency Medicine , Division: Research
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , BS
• UMass Chan Medical School , PHD
• University of Massachusetts Medical School , MD
• University of Massachusetts Medical School , PhD
• Phone: 508-421-1401

Lawrence J. Hayward, MD, PhD

• Washington University in St Louis , BA
• Washington University in St Louis , BS
• Baylor College of Medicine , MD
• Baylor College of Medicine , PHD

Nils Henninger, MD, PhD

• Neurology , Division: Stroke and Vascular Neurology
• Johannes Gutenberg University , MD
• University of Massachusetts Medical School , PHD
• Harvard Medical School ,
• Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg ,
• Johannes Gutenberg University , Dr. med.

Fiachra Emanuel Humphries, PhD

• Medicine , Division: Innate Immunity
• National University of Ireland , BS
• National University of Ireland , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-6940

Javier Elbio Irazoqui, PhD

• Marcellette G. Williams Scholar
• Harvard Medical School , Postdoctoral Fellow
• National University of Rosario , B.S.
• Phone: 774-455-3797
• Lab: https://www.umassmed.edu/lci/

Mark Damone Johnson, MD, PhD

• Maroun Semaan Chair in Neurosurgery
• Neurological Surgery

Elinor Kathryn Karlsson, PhD

• Genomics and Computational Biology
• Rice University , BA
• Boston University , PHD
• Lab: http://karlssonlab.org

Allison May Keeler-Klunk, PhD

• Rochester Institute of Technology , BS
• Phone: 774-455-3522
• Lab: https://www.umassmed.edu/keelerlab

David N. Kennedy, PhD

• Phone: 508-856-8228

Anastasia Khvorova, PhD

• Remondi Family Chair in Biomedical Research
• Moscow State University , BS
• Moscow State University , MS
• Russian Academy of Sciences , PHD
• Phone: 774-455-3638

Dohoon Kim, PhD

• Korea Advanced Institute of Science , BS
• Korea Advanced Institute of Science , MS
• Phone: 508-856-5330

Sohye Kim, PhD

• Yonsei University , BA
• Rosemead School of Psychology , MA
• Rosemead School of Psychology , PHD
• Phone: 774-455-4023

Oliver D. King, PhD

• University of Hawaii at Manoa , BA
• University of California, Berkeley , MS
• University of California, Berkeley , PHD
• Phone: 774-455-1572

William R. Kobertz, PhD

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology
• University of California, Berkeley , B S
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology , PH D

John Landers, PhD

• University of Pennsylvania , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-6221

Jeanne B. Lawrence, PhD

• Leo P. and Theresa M. LaChance Chair in Medical Research
• Stephens College , BA
• Rutgers University- New Brunswick , MS
• Phone: 508-856-6015
• Lab: https://www.umassmed.edu/lawrencelab

Darren James Lee, PhD

• Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
• University of California, Davis , BS
• University of New Hampshire Durham , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-3438

Elaine Lim, PhD

• Harvard University , PhD

Michael Anthony Lodato, PhD

• Hofstra University , BS

Ryan W. Logan, PhD

• University of Maine, Orono , BA
• University of Maine, Orono , PHD

Gilles E. Martin, PhD

• Pierre and Marie Curie University , BA
• Pierre and Marie Curie University , MA
• Pierre and Marie Curie University , PHD
• Phone: 774-455-4309

Haley E. Melikian, PhD

• University of Massachusetts Amherst , BA
• University of Massachusetts Amherst , BS
• Emory University , PHD
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute , Postdoctoral
• Harvard Medical School , Postdoctoral

Stephen C. Miller, PhD

• University of Wisconsin, Madison , BS
• University of California, San Francisco , PH D
• Phone: 508-856-8865

Mo Hammad Modarres, PhD

Adjunct assistant professor.

• Case Western Reserve University , BS
• Case Western Reserve University , MS
• Phone: 216-496-6169

Mary Munson, PhD

• Washington University in St Louis , AB
• Yale University , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-8318

Sumeda Nandadasa, PhD

• Moorhead State University , BA
• University of Cincinnati College of Medicine , PHD
• Lab: https://www.umassmed.edu/nandadasalab/

Stephanie Puig, MS, PhD

• Pierre and Marie Curie University , MS
• Paris Descartes University , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-8989

Claudio Punzo, PhD

• University of Basel , BS
• University of Basel , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-8038

Jillian M. Richmond, PhD

• Dermatology
• Johns Hopkins University , BS
• Boston University School of Medicine , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-3688

Joel Richter, PhD

• Arthur F. Koskinas Chair in Neuroscience
• Indiana University Bloomington , BA
• Arizona State University , MS
• Arizona State University , PH D
• Phone: 508-856-8615

Ann R. Rittenhouse, PhD

• Mount Holyoke College , AB
• Phone: 508-856-3735
• Lab: https://www.umassmed.edu/maps/research-labs/rittenhouse/

Evgeny I. Rogaev, PhD

• Lomonosov Moscow State University , MS
• Russian Academy of Sciences , DS
• Phone: 508-856-8438

Anthony Rothschild, MD

• Irving S. and Betty Brudnick Chair in Psychiatry
• Princeton University , AB
• Phone: 508-856-1027

Sean P. Ryder, PhD

• University of New Hampshire at Manchester , B S
• Yale University , PH D
• Phone: 508-856-1372

Manojkumar Saranathan, PhD

• University of Washington , MS
• University of Washington , PHD

Dorothy P. Schafer, PhD

• Mount Holyoke College , BA
• University of Connecticut , PHD

Jean Pierre Schatzmann Peron, PhD

Miguel S. Sena Esteves, PhD

• University of Porto , BS
• University of Porto , PHD

Rachael Sirianni, PhD, MS, MSE, BSE

• Arizona State University , BE
• Yale University , MS
• Phone: 508-334-1000

Andrew R. Tapper, PhD

• University of California, Riverside , BS
• University of California, Riverside , MS
• Phone: 774-455-4326

Travis Carle Thomson, PhD

• University of Alberta , BS
• McGill University , PHD

Summer Thyme, PhD

• Scripps College , BA
• Phone: 508-856-2251

Dan Wang, PhD

• Fudan University , BS
• University of Alabama, Birmingham , PHD

Jonathan K. Watts, PhD

• Dalhousie University , BS
• Phone: 774-455-3784

David R. Weaver, PhD

• Michigan State University , BS
• Michigan State University , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-2495

Sarah Kern Whitley, MD, PhD, FAAD

• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor , BS
• University of Alabama, Birmingham , MD

Danny G. Winder, PhD

• University of North Georgia , BS

Yang Xiang, PhD

• Nanjing University , BS
• Chinese Academy of Sciences , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-6148

Zuoshang Xu, MD, PhD

• Shanghai Medical College , MD
• Washington University in St Louis , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-3309

Hongwei Yang, MD, PhD

• Topiwala National Medical College , MD
• University of Tokyo , Ph.D.
• Phone: 774-455-4584

Eviatar Isac Yemini, PhD

• Columbia University , BA
• University of California, San Diego , MS
• University of Cambridge , PHD
• Phone: 508-856-4117
• Lab: https://www.yeminilab.org

Hong Zhang, PhD

• Phone: 508-856-5423

Jin Zhang, PhD

• New York University School of Medicine , PHD
• Lab: https://www.jinzhanglab.org

Ronghua ZhuGe, PhD

• Lab: https://www.umassmed.edu/zhugelab/

Jill A. Zitzewitz, PhD

• Radiology , Division: Translational Anatomy
• Carthage College , BA
• Washington State University , PHD

Neuroscience, PhD

School of medicine.

The Department of Neuroscience offers an interdisciplinary program designed to train doctoral students for independent research and teaching in neuroscience. It is the goal of the program to ensure that candidates for the Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. degrees obtain a background covering molecular, cellular, systems, and cognitive approaches to neuroscience, as well as receive training that brings them to the forefront of research in their particular area of interest. A series of core courses in neuroscience, along with advanced electives, seminar series, laboratory rotations, and original independent dissertation research, form the Neuroscience Graduate Training Program.

Students enter the program from different backgrounds and the laboratories in which they elect to work cover different disciplines; therefore, the program is tailored to fit the needs of individual students. The academic year at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is divided into four quarters plus a summer semester. Courses are designed so that students have ample time to become involved in laboratory rotations. These laboratory rotations expose the student to a variety of current research techniques in neuroscience and provide an opportunity for the student to select a laboratory in which to conduct dissertation research. Scheduling of the three rotations is adjusted to make the most convenient schedule for each student. The rotations are usually completed by the end of the first full year in the program. Most students begin their thesis research at the beginning of their second year.

For more information, please visit The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience webpage: http://neuroscience.jhu.edu.

Financial Aid

The program provides tuition remission plus a stipend at or above the National Institutes of Health Predoctoral level for all students. All entering and first-year students are encouraged to apply for individual fellowships such as those sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Vivien Thomas PhD Scholars at JHU The  Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative (VTSI)  is a new endowed fellowship program at Johns Hopkins for PhD students in STEM fields. It provides full tuition, stipend, and benefits while also providing targeted mentoring, networking, community, and professional development opportunities. Students who have attended a historically black college and university ( HBCU ) or other minority serving institution (MSI) for undergraduate study are eligible to apply. More information about the VTSI program is available at this link:  https://provost.jhu.edu/about/vivien-thomas-scholars-initiative/ . To be considered for the VTSI, all application and supplementary materials must be received by  December 1st .

Admission Requirements

We use a holistic approach to evaluating applicants and look forward to reading your application. We are most enthusiastic about applicants who have taken full advantage of the opportunities available at their undergraduate institution and through other summer or postbac experiences. Our class size is typically ~18 students per year.

Applicants are expected to have received a B.S. or B.A. prior to enrolling in the graduate program. Laboratory research experience prior to enrollment is also desirable. If you have research experience, please describe your research in your Statement of Interest and Career Objectives and indicate the number of months engaged in full-time and part-time research on your CV. Students who do well in our program typically have a strong academic foundation in areas of biological or physical sciences. Some of the courses that prepare students well include general biology, neuroscience, mathematics through calculus, general physics, general chemistry, organic chemistry, statistics, engineering, or computer science.

NOTE: The Neuroscience Program DOES NOT require GRE scores. 

Program Requirements

A year-long core course provides an integrated overview of molecular and cellular neuroscience, neuroanatomy and systems, and cognitive neuroscience. This course is aimed at providing Neuroscience graduate students with a foundation for posing meaningful questions in their area of interest.  During the first two years, students are required to take 6 graduate level core courses that provide rigorous training in principles of neuroscience research. In addition, students in the first year attend research symposia and complete lab rotations to introduce them to research. Students in the program are also required to participate in core program activities such as seminars, journal clubs, a quantitative analysis boot camp, career development courses and various program events. In addition, each student selects advanced electives offered by members of the Neuroscience Training Program or other departments at the Medical School.

Seminar Program

The Neuroscience Training Program conducts several seminar series to ensure that students are exposed to recent work by researchers from across the country and the world as well as by Hopkins faculty and fellows. Graduate trainees participate actively in these series throughout their training, including inviting and hosting three speakers each year. A weekly lecture is given by an outstanding researcher in some field of neuroscience. Seminars are selected so that an overall balance of subject matter is covered yearly. Students are given an opportunity to meet with each speaker for questions and discussion. Weekly lunchtime talks are presented on current literature by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Since an ability to communicate scientific work clearly is essential, graduate students receive close guidance in preparing and evaluating their journal club presentations. Once a month, the faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students from one laboratory present and discuss the ongoing research in that laboratory. This provides an informal setting to discuss research being conducted in the laboratories of the Neuroscience Training Program and gives advanced graduate students and postdoctoral fellows a forum for presenting their work.

Requirements for the PhD Degree

A minimum residency of two academic years is required. During the course of graduate study, the student must successfully complete the required course requirements. An oral examination, conducted as prescribed by the Doctor of Philosophy Board, must be completed by the end of the second year. The student must then conduct original research and describe this research in a written thesis dissertation, which must be approved by the students Thesis Committee and the Doctor of Philosophy Board.

Training Facilities

The Training Program is centered in the Department of Neuroscience. The Training Program utilizes laboratory facilities located in the Department of Neuroscience plus several other basic and clinical departments closely associated with the Neuroscience Department. All of these laboratories are within a short distance of each other. Modern state of the art facilities for research in molecular biology, neurophysiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, cell biology, and morphology are available. The Mind/Brain Institute, located on the Homewood Campus of the University, is a group of laboratories devoted to the investigation of the neural mechanisms of higher mental function and particularly to the mechanisms of perception. All of the disciplines required to address these questions are represented in the Institute. These include neurophysiology, psychology, theoretical neurobiology, neuroanatomy, and cognitive science. All of the faculty in the Mind/Brain Institute are members of the Neuroscience Graduate Program.

Combined M.D./Ph.D. Program

A subset of the current predoctoral trainees in the Neuroscience Program are candidates for both Ph.D. and M.D. degrees. Applications for admission to the combined program are considered by the M.D./Ph.D. Committee of the School of Medicine. Application forms for the School of Medicine contain a section requesting information relevant to graduate study. Applicants interested in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program should complete this section also, and indicate specifically their interest in the “Neuroscience Training Program”. If application to the combined M.D./Ph.D. program proves unsuccessful and the applicant wishes to be considered for graduate studies, they must notify the Admissions Office of the Neuroscience Training Program by separate letter.

2024 Q&A with the Neuroscience PhD Program graduates

Congratulations to our recent and upcoming Neuroscience PhD Program graduates: Matthew Davis, Erin Aisenberg, Katie Cording, Marisa Denkinger, Julian Bieber-Dishart, Xue Lily Gong, Madeline Klinger, Sylvia Madhow, Hayley Bounds, and Jacob Ziontz!

Read our Q&A below with some of the graduates to learn about their most interesting discoveries, future plans, and words of advice.

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Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences

Behavioral neuroscience.

All graduate training by faculty members in Behavioral Neuroscience is carried out through one of the interdepartmental graduate programs at UMass, primarily the  Neuroscience and Behavior  (NSB) Program. In addition, faculty train students in the Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) and the  Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (OEB) Program. Please visit the NSB , MCB , or OEB websites for more information.

If you are seeking information about the undergraduate Neuroscience Track, including the requirements checklist for the track, you should look in the Undergraduate section.

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ARVO Foundation Bestows Top Honor Upon Fliesler

Steven J. Fliesler, PhD, has been recognized as a 2024 ARVO Foundation for Eye Research honoree.

By Dirk Hoffman

Published June 14, 2024

Steven J. Fliesler, PhD , has been recognized as a 2024 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Foundation honoree .

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Honorees are selected by the ARVO Foundation for Eye Research Board of Governors and are recognized for their commitment to ARVO and the ARVO Foundation, either through generous financial support, exemplary leadership of a Foundation initiative or dedication to endeavors that represent the mission of the Foundation. 

Member of International Organization For 48 Years

Fliesler, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Meyer H. Riwchun Endowed Chair Professor of  ophthalmology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences , was honored at the 2024 ARVO annual meeting May 5-8 in Seattle, Washington.

“It was actually quite surprising to me when I found out I was going to receive this honor,” he said. “To me, it’s very gratifying to know that my contributions over the years to the vision research community have been appreciated, and hopefully that they have been impactful.”

Fliesler has been a member of the Rockville, Maryland-based ARVO for 48 years. It is the largest international professional society in the world dedicated to eye and vision research, with about 12,000 members from over 60 countries.

“For me service is not a burden; it’s an obligation and an honor to be chosen to serve,” he said.

An internationally renowned vision scientist, Fliesler is considered the world’s leading expert on cholesterol metabolism in the retina.

His research was instrumental in describing for the first time the involvement of the lipid intermediate pathway in glycoprotein synthesis in the human retina and the importance of protein glycosylation for normal retinal photoreceptor cell differentiation.

Fliesler’s research also demonstrated cholesterol’s role in the development and function of the retina, leading to his studies of retinal degeneration in Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS), a birth defect resulting in profound dysmorphic and cognitive abnormalities.

Served In Multiple Influential Leadership Roles

Fliesler was elected to serve on the ARVO Board of Trustees, representing the Retinal Cell Biology (RC) Section, from 2014-2019, then president-elect (2017-2018) and served as president in 2018-2019 and immediate past president in 2019-2020.

He is only one of three individuals to serve as president of both ARVO and the International Society for Eye Research (ISER); the latter is the world’s second largest professional organization dedicated to eye and vision research.

Notably, Fliesler is the only person to ever serve twice on ARVO’s Annual Program Planning Committee, from 1990 to 1992, and from 2013 to 2015.

He was honored as a 2014 ARVO gold-tier fellow. The association’s gold-tier honorees represent the top 1 percent of its membership. Prior to that, he was named a silver-tier fellow as part of the association’s inaugural 2009 class. ARVO fellows are recognized for their stature in and contributions to the field of eye and vision research as well as for service specifically to ARVO.

In 2019, Fliesler was inducted into the Dowling Society, a philanthropic arm of the ARVO Foundation, and has made monetary contributions on a regular basis to the Foundation ever since.

Among his many influential leadership roles at ARVO over the years, he served multiple times as a session moderator (for both poster and platform sessions) at the ARVO annual meetings, and served on ARVO’s publications committee from 2010 to 2015, and as its chair-elect in 2012-2013 and chair from 2013 to 2015.

A video of testimonials from Fliesler’s peers was presented at the ARVO annual meeting.

“His holistic approach underscores his innovative spirit and his relentless pursuit of answers to some of the most challenging questions,” said Wei Li, MD, PhD, senior investigator at the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health. “His contributions have not only facilitated groundbreaking research, but have also supported the next generation of vision scientists, ensuring that the field continues to thrive.”

“We’re all incredibly grateful for everything you do to support the philanthropic mission of the ARVO Foundation to raise money for vision researchers,” said Rafal Farjo, PhD, chief executive officer of EyeCRO and recently named chair of the Foundation. “Moreover, your unwavering commitment to our ARVO community through service and leadership has played a pivotal role in fostering collaboration, innovation and the continued advancement of ophthalmic research.”

“In addition to being a wonderful mentor to me and many others, your work in the field of lipid biology within the retina has been nothing short of groundbreaking,” Farjo added.

Research Funded Continuously For 40 Years

Throughout his distinguished career, Fliesler has received many other accolades from the eye and vision research community, including:

• plenary (keynote) lecture: 24 th International Congress of Ophthalmology and Optometry China (Shanghai, China)
• named the 2022 recipient of the Retina Research Foundation’s (RRF) Paul Kayser International Award in Retina Research presented by ISER
• twice honored with Chancellor’s Award Lecture in Neuroscience and Ophthalmology from the Neuroscience Center of Excellence, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health New Orleans (2023, 2017)
• president of ISER from 2012 to 2014

At the University at Buffalo, Fliesler was named a SUNY Distinguished Professor in 2018 and was named a University at Buffalo Distinguished Professor in 2014 .

In 2008, he was named the inaugural Meyer H. Riwchun Endowed Chair Professor of ophthalmology.

Since 2008, Fliesler has served as vice-chair/director of research in the  Department of Ophthalmology  in the Jacobs School. He also holds concurrent appointments as a professor in the Department of Biochemistry  and in the Neuroscience Program  at the Jacobs School, as well as being a Research Career Scientist at the Buffalo VA Medical Center (VA Western NY Healthcare System)

He was awarded the University at Buffalo Graduate School’s 2021-2022 Distinguished Postdoc Mentor Award .

Fliesler has published more than 150 peer-reviewed journal articles, and 15 book chapters and books. His research program has been funded continuously for 40 years by federal and private extramural grants. 

He obtained his doctoral degree in biochemistry from Rice University, did a postdoctoral fellowship at the Cullen Eye Institute/Baylor College of Medicine, and was previously on the faculties of Baylor College of Medicine, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute/University of Miami School of Medicine, and Saint Louis University School of Medicine prior to joining the UB faculty in 2008.

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Student spotlight: karen ru, june 10, 2024.

by Mimi Jenness

This week’s student spotlight features Karen Ru, a graduating senior from the class of 2024. Ru is part of the 2024 Graduation with Distinction (GwD) cohort. She is enthralled with her experience in the GwD program and would recommend, encourage, and urge her younger classmates not to miss this incredible opportunity.

Originally from Farmington, Connecticut, Ru arrived at Duke University amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. But Ru didn’t let that dampen her experiences and made the most of her time as an undergraduate student at a world-class university. Ru majored in Neuroscience with minors in Chemistry and Psychology . Her decision to pursue Neuroscience stemmed from an early fascination with the brain and human behavior. It all started with a dissection of a sheep’s brain, Ru recalled. This opportunity arose when Ru was a middle schooler at a John’s Hopkins Center for Talented Youth summer camp. Since then, she has appreciated gaining an in-depth scientific understanding of the brain’s circuitry and chemistry, as well as the processes behind phenomena such as learning, memory, emotion, and social interaction.

She chose Neuroscience as her major because it integrates multiple disciplines from molecular and cellular biology to pharmacology, psychology, and computer science. Like yin and yang, theoretical learning is only one part of the neuroscience discipline; the other integral part is application. Ru loves applying knowledge gained in the classroom to ongoing research in multiple areas of medicine through critical thinking, problem-solving, laboratory skills, and analytical techniques. It was no surprise that Ru involved herself in laboratory research very early in her undergraduate study.

In the spring semester of her sophomore year, Ru was fortunate enough to get involved in animal behavior research at Yin Lab , headed by Dr. Henry Yin , and she continued there until her graduation. Dr. Yin also served as Ru's mentor for her research project, which she used to write her honors thesis to complete her GwD in Neuroscience.

For her research project, Ru studied basal ganglia circuitry, specifically the Globus Pallidus Externa, and its role in facilitating movement. During this process, Ru learned to handle and train mice on a multitude of behavioral tasks and to utilize in vivo electrophysiology and optogenetics to monitor single-unit activity in real time. In other words, Ru was able to visualize what was happening in the brain during what one might think is a simple task, such as raising or lowering the head. Balancing the GwD process with her other classes, responsibilities in the lab, and her part-time job as a medical assistant, Ru admitted that although some tasks felt daunting at times, the reward was well worth the journey. She felt very grateful to have the support of Dr. Makeba Wilbourn and Dr. Leonard White in addition to her mentor, Dr. Yin. The top three pieces of advice she has for all future GwD students are:

• Stay on track! The purpose of the thesis class is to help spread out the workload so that no one finds themselves having to write the entire dissertation paper in a week.
• Ask for help. If you are stuck or have a concern, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Not only can you ask your lab PI, but your thesis professor and TA are also there for you. There’s no such thing as a silly question.
• Be confident - no one knows your research better than you do. Remember that you are the expert!

Ru feels confident in how much she has grown not only as a scholar, but also as an individual through this thesis process. She hopes to continue integrating this area of study in Neuroscience into her future endeavors. Ru shared the stage with her fellow 2024 classmates earlier this May as they reflected and celebrated the conclusion of their undergraduate careers. Ru is taking a gap year to apply for medical school. During this gap year, she will be working with the Smilowitz Lab at the University of Connecticut Health Center, continuing her investigations in Glioblastoma and breast cancer. She hopes to utilize this opportunity to build her knowledge and apply her analytical skills across multiple project topics. In July, Ru will be moving to Boston to start her new role as a medical assistant at Beth Israel Lahey Health, as she enjoys interacting with both patients and their providers in matters surrounding the patient’s health and wellbeing.

Wrapping up her time at Duke is bittersweet for Ru. While she will continue her role as a volunteer co-coordinator, she will miss Saturday morning deliveries with the Root Causes Fresh Produce Program (FPP) and the pups at Puppy Kindergarten . Root Causes FPP is an organization created by students at Duke University School of Medicine in collaboration with the Duke University Health System. They pack and deliver donated produce from local farms to patient doorsteps every Saturday in efforts to promote healthy eating and alleviate food insecurity in Durham. The Duke Puppy Kindergarten provides service dogs for Canine Companions, an organization that focuses on matching service dogs to individuals with disabilities. As a volunteer there, Ru has the opportunity to help train the pups, teaching them important commands while getting some much-needed stress relief by being around bouncy and playful puppies. Her time at Duke has been full and busy, but it has created so many memories that she will hold onto for years to come. Ru is excited to start the new chapter while continuing to integrate these areas of study in Neuroscience into her future endeavors as she pursues a career in medicine.

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Double take: 23 sets of twins graduate from a single Massachusetts middle school

Twins account for around 3% of live births in the u.s., according to the national center for health statistics..

By Associated Press

NEEDHAM, Mass. (AP) — Twenty-three sets of twins have graduated from a Massachusetts middle school, making up about 10% of the eighth-grade class.

The identical and fraternal twins graduated from Pollard Middle School in Needham, Massachusetts, on Wednesday. Another student, who is also a twin, graduated but her brother attends a different school, said principal Tamatha Bibbo.

It’s “quite unusual,” said Bibbo. “We typically have anywhere from five to 10 sets at most. Given our numbers, we have approximately 450 to 500 children in each grade so this was extraordinarily high.”

The school gave a special shout-out to the 23 sets of twins during the so-called “moving up” ceremony on Wednesday, she said. Twins account for around 3% of live births in the U.S., according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

The Pollard Middle School graduates must all have completed up to 10 hours of service learning in their communities and every year the Needham Exchange Club offers five community service awards. For the first time this year a set of twins — Lukas and Sameer Patel — won an award and a donation to their charity, Bibbo said.

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Cost of Attendance: Graduate

Direct and indirect costs overview.

Student Financial Services uses the cost of attendance to determine aid eligibility. The cost of attendance is comprised of direct, or fixed, costs charged by Tufts such as tuition and fees and indirect, or estimated, costs such as rent, food, and personal expenses.

Direct costs include tuition, fees, and other charges assessed by Tufts. Students will receive a bill from Tufts each semester for their direct costs. Direct costs vary by school, program, and modality. 

Indirect costs are estimates for how much a student may spend on out-of-pocket expenses such as off-campus rent, food, personal expenses, books, and transportation. These costs will vary by student and the choices they make. Students do not receive a bill for indirect costs (with the exception of students living in on-campus housing or purchasing a meal plan). 

2024-2025 Cost of Attendance: Graduate Students

These figures represent the expenses used to determine the cost of attendance for each graduate student during a traditional fall and spring academic year.  Please note that the cost of attendance is not a bill, and does not reflect actual charges on your student account. Students are billed for each semester through eBill . Each year you can log in to SIS to view your fall eBill in early July, and your spring eBill in early November.

This estimate reflects estimates for fall 2024 plus spring 2025. The table below represents the traditional fall and spring academic year.

1. Tuition is determined by each school. Most GSAS and SoE programs are charged per credit, or "pay as you go." Most Fletcher programs (except GMAP and GBA) are charged flat-rate.

2. The Health and Wellness Fee is mandatory for most graduate students attending more than half-time in a residential program. The Student Activity Fee is mandatory for most in-person GSAS, SoE, and Fletcher students. There is no way to waive these fees.

3. This housing estimate does not reflect the actual charge for an on-campus room selection, or the actual cost of off-campus rent. Federal Student Aid regulations require the use of the average cost of housing for each housing category. Use this figure as an estimate for budgeting purposes.

4. This food does not reflect the actual charge for a Tufts dining plan, or the actual cost of food for a graduate student who does not purchase a dining plan. The amount is based on the cost of a Premium dining plan, which provides 21 meals a week. Most graduate students do not purchase a dining plan from Tufts.

5. Books and supplies, personal expenses, and transportation are estimates of costs graduate students may expect during the semester. 

6. Loan fees assume a student is borrowing a $20,500 unsubsidized federal Direct Loan. The amount will be adjusted if the student borrows less than this amount or has additional loan fees from a Grad PLUS loan.

7. Proof of health insurance is required. In compliance with Massachusetts law, students will be charged for the Tufts student health insurance then can waive the charge in SIS with proof of comparable health insurance coverage. MassHealth and most private insurance plans satisfy the health insurance requirement. The cost of health insurance is not automatically added to domestic students’ cost of attendance. Graduate students can request it be added for the purpose of borrowing additional loan funds.