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The University of Chicago has a long tradition of innovative research
in the neurosciences. K. C. Cole developed the voltage clamp here, Stephen
Polyak and C. J. Herrick did pioneering work on the anatomy of the retina
and brain, and Jack Cowan and Hugh Wilson were among the first to develop
mathematical analyses of the dynamics of cortical neurons using non-linear
dynamics. This tradition is continued in the Committee on Computational
Neuroscience, which draws on faculty from many departments in all four
graduate divisions in the University to create a multidisciplinary program
in neuroscience. Computational neuroscience is a relatively new area of
inquiry that is concerned with how components of animal and human nervous
systems interact to produce behaviors. Using quantitative and modeling
methods, the interdisciplinary approach of computational neuroscience
seeks to understand the function of the nervous system, natural behaviors
and cognitive processes and to design human-made devices that duplicate
behaviors. Course work in computational neuroscience prepares students
for research in neurobiology, psychology, or in the mathematical or engineering
sciences. Graduates from this program move to traditional academic careers,
to careers in biomedical research or engineering, or to opportunities
in the corporate world.
Graduate Degrees
Students with undergraduate degrees in biology or psychology, any of
the quantitative sciences or any of the engineering disciplines are welcome
to apply for graduate study. Computational neuroscience is inherently
interdisciplinary, and most students doing graduate work in this area
will have strengths in one of the relevant areas and weaknesses in others.
Program requirements in the committee are designed to correct background
deficiencies, so students with uneven backgrounds should not hesitate
to apply. A year of college level calculus is an absolute prerequisite.
Ideally, applicants should have some collegiate level course work in biology
(optimally including an introductory neurobiology course), an introductory
psychology course, and some mathematics (such as linear algebra and elementary
differential equations) beyond calculus.
Master of Science
Most students in the program are pursuing the Ph.D. However, students
interested in obtaining an S.M. are considered on an individual basis.
Interested students should contact the graduate program administrator
at (773) 702-6371.
Doctor of Philosophy
Students seeking the Ph.D. in Computational Neuroscience must take the
nine formal courses in the Computational Neuroscience curriculum, nine
elective courses and enroll for nine quarters of research. The formal
courses are typically taken in the first year and arranged into three
themes. The neuroscience theme presents the basic concepts and phenomena
in neuroscience. The mathematics theme presents the quantitative techniques
required for a modern analysis of the nervous system and behavior. The
computational neuroscience theme illustrates how quantitative methodologies
are used to understand neurons and behavior. The nine elective courses
are typically started in the summer between the first and second years,
and continue into the second year. At least two of the electives must
involve laboratory rotations. Remaining electives can be chosen from graduate
courses offered by the Departments of Computer Science, Linguistics, Mathematics,
Psychology and Statistics, or from any of the graduate programs in the
Division of the Biological Sciences. Please consult the listings elsewhere
in these Announcements or on the University of Chicago web page for current
lists of courses.
Courses in engineering applications of computational neuroscience are
also available through a limited reciprocal course arrangement with the
Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology
and may be used as electives. Students must pass a preliminary examination
with both written and oral components at the end of their second year.
In addition to satisfying course requirements, students must write and
defend a dissertation based on original and publishable research. Students
are expected to participate in the on-going Computational Neuroscience
seminar series, as well as occasional workshops, that are conducted during
their stay in the program.
M.D./Ph.D. Program
Students interested in earning both an M.D. and a Ph.D. in Computational
Neuroscience at the University of Chicago can follow one of two routes.
The first is to apply to the Medical Science Training Program (MSTP) within
the Pritzker School of Medicine. The MSTP training grant provides support
for both the M.D. and Ph.D. components of the training. Second, a student
in the Pritzker School of Medicine may take a leave of absence from the
School of Medicine after the first two, preclinical years of medical training
and apply to the Ph.D. program in the normal fashion. The student would
then return to finish the two clinical years of medical studies after
completing the Ph.D. Several of the preclinical medical school courses
may be used as electives in the Computational Neuroscience Ph.D. program.
Students with an undergraduate degree in one of the engineering disciplines
can earn an M.D. through the Pritzker School of Medicine and a Ph.D. in
Biomedical Engineering through the Department of Biomedical Engineering
at the Illinois Institute of Technology (which is located approximately
three miles north of the University of Chicago Campus). They are able
to emphasize neural engineering in the Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. program
and take courses in the Committee on Computational Neuroscience.
Admission to Graduate Programs
Admission to the Committee on Computational Neuroscience is coordinated
through the Neurobiology, Physiology and Pharmacology cluster within the
Division of the Biological Sciences. The most recent admissions policies,
including an on-line application, can be viewed at http://npp.bsd.uchicago.edu.
Students preparing an application must submit transcripts of their undergraduate
and prior graduate work, recent test scores from the general Graduate
Record Exam, and three letters of recommendation under separate cover.
Foreign applicants from non-English speaking nations must also submit
TOEFL scores with their application materials. Applications are generally
due by January 5 for students beginning their studies in the following
autumn quarter.
Financial Aid
Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program receive financial support in the
form of a stipend and tuition payments as long as they remain in good
standing. Students are encouraged to apply for individual fellowships
from the National Science Foundation or other sources.
Research Opportunities
Unparalleled research opportunities and facilities are available through
the facilities and faculty on the University of Chicago campus, at the
Argonne National Laboratory, the Illinois Institute of Technology campus
and corporate partners. Research interests of faculty in the Committee
on Computational Neuroscience can be accessed through the committee web
page at http://cns.bsd.uchicago.edu.
Ongoing research topics range from work at the molecular level to studies
in cognitive neuroscience. These projects involve modern methods of recording
and imaging the activities of individual neurons, populations of neurons
and human brain regions.
Quantitative approaches currently utilized by faculty and students include
those derived from non-linear dynamics, large scale simulations of neural
activity, time series analysis, and pattern recognition. Research projects
address basic problems in neuroscience using approaches that range from
molecular neurobiology to cognitive neuroscience, biomedical applications
such as the construction of neural prostheses and the control of epilepsy,
and technological applications to computational vision and language.
This text was last revised on 8/29/2003.
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