The Department of Neuroscience graduate program offers interdisciplinary biomedical research training leading to Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degrees. Reflecting the nature of contemporary neuroscience, our interdisciplinary graduate program contains faculty from basic and clinical departments. Program mentors are drawn from the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute and the adjacent National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health/Centers for Disease Control providing training opportunities in basic, clinical and translational science. This environment affords our faculty and students prime access to the state-of-the-art resources needed to conduct world-class neuroscience research.
As one of the seven biomedical Ph.D. programs at the WVU Health Sciences Center, and under the umbrella of WVU’s Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, students have access to more than 50 laboratories and state-of-the-art equipment.
Research
The program emphasizes research on the function and dysfunction of the brain and nervous system, providing students with innovative approaches to understanding neural mechanisms responsible for diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and brain injury and repair. In addition, students will gain fundamental understanding of cellular and molecular neurobiology, motor and sensory systems, neural processing, behavior and neural development.
Our five primary research topics include, but aren’t limited to, the following areas:
Of course, faculty also serve as mentors to ensure student success, not only in research, but also in achieving their overall career goals. Mentors this year include:
Andrew M. Dacks,
PhD
West Virginia University
Positions
Professor, Department of Biology, Department of Neuroscience
Professor, Department of Biology, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (SOM)
