About
Welcome from the Director
Welcome to the Tulane Neuroscience Program, the educational and training arm of the Tulane Brain Institute!
The Tulane University Neuroscience Program was established in 1986 as the first interdisciplinary doctoral program at Tulane. In the early 2000's, the Neuroscience Program expanded to include an interdisciplinary undergraduate major and a master's program, each of which have each grown to be among the largest and most successful at the University. Neuroscience Program students are trained within the growing and vibrant Tulane Brain Institute that draws from faculty from across the University including those from the main Campus, the Health Sciences campus and the National Primate Research Center.
As an undergraduate student majoring in neuroscience at Tulane University, you will learn about how the building blocks of the nervous system, neurons, communicate with each other in neural circuits to produce sensory perception, movement, complex behaviors, thoughts, and memories. There are many research opportunities available in our research laboratories, conducting cutting-edge neuroscience research in topics ranging from gene regulation and cellular signaling to animal behavior. You will be in a position when you graduate with a bachelor of science in neuroscience to continue your studies in professional or graduate school, or to start a career in science.
As a Master's student in the Tulane 4+1 or 1-year Master's Programs, you will further develop your interests in neuroscience, and strengthen and expand your knowledge and understanding of the structure and function of the nervous system and its constituent cells and systems through advanced courses and laboratory experiences. You will be able to participate in clinical and/or research internships that will allow you to solidify your future career goals, and you will build your neuroscience credentials in order to enhance your competitiveness to enter the workforce or to continue your graduate education in medical school or graduate school.
As a Ph.D. student in the Tulane Neuroscience Program, you will be fostered through the process of choosing a laboratory before becoming completely immersed in the world of scientific research, including all the ups and downs of scientific experimentation and the ultimate excitement of scientific discovery. Current areas of research interest in neuroscience at Tulane span a wide range of topics, ranging from the basic cell/molecular mechanisms of neuronal signaling to neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, in passing by way of the neurobiology of animal behavior, from birds to primates. State-of-the-art techniques, including cell imaging and patch clamp recording, recombinant DNA technology and sophisticated behavioral analyses are brought to bear on the study of some of the most pressing issues in mental health.
Take a look at the Neuroscience Program and Brain Institute websites to learn more about our Programs and the Neuroscience community at Tulane. If you are interested in applying to one of our exciting undergraduate or graduate programs, please contact the Program Directors (undergraduate and Master's Programs, Dr. Beth Wee; Ph.D. Program, Dr. Ricardo Mostany). Additionally, feel free to contact individual faculty, our Program Manager (Sherrie Calogero), or me to find out what is happening in the Tulane Neuroscience Program and how you can be a part of it.
Matthew Dalva, Ph.D. Director, Tulane Brain Institute
mdalva@tulane.edu
