Graduate Program
Our Research- What we do
Cellular, Molecular, Systems and Computational Neuroscience
Using organisms from flies to humans, neuroscience researchers at Virginia Tech are exploring how the brain develops, how the brain ages, how neurons and glia interreact with one another to create functional circuits and how these circuits create or modulate behavior, such as learning and sleep. Our researchers are looking at these questions in the healthy brain, in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, in psychiatric disease, in neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson and Alzheimer disease, in drug abuse, and, brain injury.
Our program offers
- Personalized laboratory rotations and thoughtful mentor matching to help students identify the best research environment and primary advisor.
- An integrated neuroscience curriculum that builds a strong foundation while allowing flexibility to pursue specialized interests through course electives.
- Professional and career development programming featuring workshops on scientific communication, grant writing, teaching, leadership, and career exploration.
- Competitive financial support, including a full stipend, tuition coverage, 90% health insurance coverage, and travel awards.
- Distinguished seminar series featuring leading neuroscience researchers.
- A collaborative and supportive training environment that promotes interdisciplinary research, mentorship, and scientific innovation.
- Active graduate student and postdoctoral organization that fosters networking, professional growth, and community engagement.
- Access to cutting-edge research facilities and equipment supporting discovery across molecular, cellular, systems, behavioral, and computational neuroscience.
After one semester of research rotations and core neuroscience coursework, our PhD candidates and their mentors work together to identify additional neuroscience coursework and electives that shape each student’s individual academic experience. Courses can be selected such that they support each students research project and interests. PhD students of our research-intensive program will apply the fundamentals of brain functioning in states of health and disease to new neuroscience discovery.
Our graduates
Our graduates are prepared for employment in academia, industry and government agencies, as well as business and research settings that seek to understand, translate, implement, and communicate scientific principles in neuroscience.
Contact the program with any questions or to request additional information.
