StudyQA — PhD: Neurosciences — Washington University in St. Louis

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Washington University in St. Louis has a long tradition of excellence in the neurosciences. Here, Erlanger first measured nerve conduction velocity and its relation to axon diameter. In the 1950s, Levi-Montalcini, Cohen and Hamburger discovered the first neuronal trophic factor, nerve growth factor. Today, a large and interactive faculty focuses interest on almost every area of modern neuroscience ranging from molecular analysis of ion channels to positron emission tomography of the human brain.

Faculty from the departments of Neuroscience, Anesthesiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Cell Biology and Physiology, Developmental Biology, Genetics, Molecular Microbiology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Pathology and Immunology, Physics, Psychiatry, Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Radiology serve as advisers for thesis research and serve as teaching faculty in the neurosciences. The remarkable breadth of faculty interests in neuroscience at Washington University guarantees a student's exposure to a wide range of current neurobiological problems and approaches.

Core courses, taken in the first year of graduate study, provide an integrated, multidisciplinary view of modern neuroscience. First semester courses in Cellular Neurobiology (Bio 5571) and Fundamentals of Molecular Cell Biology (Bio 5068) cover the essential principles of electrophysiology, molecular neuroscience, neurohistology, and neural development. Second semester courses Neural Systems (Bio 5651) covers systems neuroscience and the neurobiology of disease and 1st Year Fundamentals (Bio 5646) introduces elementary statistical analysis and an introduction for grant-writing.
In their second year, students take a short course in Oral Presentation of Scientific Data (Bio 5565), which provides training in teaching and lecturing, and a course in scientific ethics.
This curriculum provides students with exposure to the full breadth of the discipline, and provides a solid foundation for laboratory research and advanced training in specific areas. The comprehensive coverage is especially helpful for students entering with limited experience in biology, such as those with backgrounds that emphasized computer science, engineering, chemistry, or psychology.
Specialized elective courses are offered to advanced students in later years of their training.
Through rotations, students gain experience in a variety of research approaches and techniques. Following two to three rotations of 10 to 12 weeks each, students have greatly broadened their expertise and are in an ideal position to choose the most suitable laboratory for thesis work.

Requirements

Demographics
Three letters of recommendation
Academic history
Test Scores
- GRE
- TOEFL (if applicable)
Two essays and a 10 word research description
Listing of Major coursework
Work history
Awards/Honors
Publication list (if any)
Payment of $45 application fee by credit card as part of the on-line application or obtain a fee waiver (please see fee waivers FAQ for additional information).