Neuroscience Graduate Program

General Information

What We Are Looking for in a Student

A good scientist is intelligent, curious, hard-working, and honest. We desire applicants who possess these qualities. We also strive to select applicants who can cooperate and communicate with others, since these skills are also most important in a scientific career. A strong science background in biology, chemistry (including organic chemistry), and basic physics is needed, along with some research experience from working in a lab doing real scientific research.

The average characteristics of applicants accepted into our program are:

• GPA: 3.4/4.0
• GRE Verbal and Quantitative: above 60th percentile

About 70% of our students are women, about 10% are from outside the United States, and about 20% are non-Caucasian.

Current Students

There are 10 Ph.D. students and 2 Masters students currently (July 2011) enrolled in the Neuroscience Graduate Program, including 1 student from Loyola's M.D.-Ph.D. program. We enroll 2-4 new Ph.D. students each year from a pool of 20-30 applicants. We also usually admit one or two Masters students per year.

Faculty

There are currently 23 full faculty members. Most are drawn from the basic science departments of Loyola's Stritch School of Medicine, but a number are based in clinical departments at both Loyola and the adjacent Hines Veterans Administration Hospital.

History

The Neuroscience Graduate Program at Loyola University Medical Center admitted its first student in the fall of 1986. Since then a total of 86 students have enrolled (61 Ph.D., 11 M.D./Ph.D., 14 Masters). Our first Ph.D. in Neuroscience graduated in May of 1992, and thus far a total of 59 Ph.D.'s, including 9 M.D./Ph.D.'s, and 10 Masters degrees have been awarded. The average time to the Ph.D. degree is six years.

Dr. Robert D. Wurster, now an emeritus Professor of Physiology and the originator of the Program, was the first Director. In 1989 he was succeeded by the current Director, Dr. E.J. Neafsey, Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics. A Program Advisory Committee assists the Director in running the program. Current members of this committee are Dr. George Battaglia (Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics), Dr. Lydia DonCarlos (Cell and Molecular Physiology), Dr. Erika Piedras-Renteria (Cell and Molecular Physiology), Dr. Karie Scrogin (Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics), and Dr. Evan Stubbs (Ophthamology and Hines VA). The Neuroscience Graduate Program is part of Loyola University Medical Center's Neuroscience Institute, now under the direction of Dr. Wendy Kartje of SSOM's Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics.