Director's Message
Study of the brain continues to be one of the most fascinating endeavors in science. A constantly changing mass of countless cells and connections, the neurons of the brain send and receive the electrochemical messages that underlie what we see, hear, feel, understand, remember, and do. Damage to the brain, whether from injury or disease, is the cause of paralysis, tremor, seizures, and dementia. The U.S. Congress recognized the importance and promise of brain research by designating the 1990s as the "Decade of the Brain."
The Neuroscience Graduate Program at Loyola trains students to become the neuroscientists who will carry on this exciting research. Since our program is interdepartmental and interdisciplinary, our students have an exceptionally broad choice of advisors and research topics on which to work. Our students begin working towards their doctorate in neuroscience by first obtaining a broad base of knowledge in the whole field of neuroscience--brain anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology. After selecting a research advisor at the end of the first year, students usually take several electives in the advisor's home department to develop specialization and strength in one particular area. Each student is exposed to various situations where he or she learns how to express their ideas effectively, whether at a graduate seminar or as a teaching assistant in the medical neuroscience course. Throughout their training, students have the opportunity to interact and work closely with faculty and to receive individualized attention that continues until degree completion.
Loyola's Neuroscience Graduate Program provides a rich, stimulating, and supportive research atmosphere that enables students to appreciate the whole spectrum of neuroscience research, from the molecular to the behavioral. Loyola is a great place to start your career as a neuroscientist.
Send email to eneafse@lumc.edu if you have any questions.
E.J. Neafsey, Ph.D., Director, Neuroscience Graduate Program