Neuroscience Academic Year 2024 – 2025 Jump To: Jump To: General Information Address Neuroscience Institute, Washington Road Phone 609-258-9657 Website Princeton Neuroscience Institute Program Offerings: Ph.D. Joint Degree Certificate M.D./Ph.D. Director of Graduate Studies: Jonathan Pillow Graduate Program Administrator: Alexandra Michaud Overview How do our brains work? How do millions of individual neurons work together to give rise to behavior at the level of a whole organism? Training researchers to answer these fundamental, unanswered questions is the goal of the Ph.D. program in the Princeton Neuroscience Institute. Students in this program learn to use the latest techniques and approaches in neuroscience and are trained in how to think and how to develop new techniques and approaches. Creativity and originality are essential to cracking the puzzle of the brain.Neuroscience Ph.D. students take lecture and laboratory courses; learn to read, understand, and present current scientific literature; develop and carry out substantial original research; and present their research at meetings and conferences.Coursework in the Princeton Neuroscience Ph.D. program is based on the idea that hands-on experience is an essential part of gaining real understanding. During the first year, all students participate in a unique year-long Core Course that surveys current neuroscience. The subjects covered in lectures are accompanied by direct experience in the lab. Students learn through first-hand experience how to run their own fMRI experiments; to design and run their own computer simulations of neural networks; to image live neural activity; and to patch-clamp single cells, to name a few examples. This course offers students a unique opportunity to learn the practical knowledge that is essential for successfully developing new experiments and techniques. Previous experimental experience is not required.Incoming students are encouraged to rotate through up to three different labs to choose the lab that best matches their interests. During this process, students may sometimes discover an area of research completely new and fascinating to them. Following their rotations, and by mutual agreement with their prospective faculty adviser, students choose a lab in which they will carry out their Ph.D. research. Apply Application deadline November 17, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (This deadline is for applications for enrollment beginning in fall 2025) Program length 5 years Fee $75 GRE General Test - optional/not required Program Offerings Ph.D. Joint Degree Certificate M.D./Ph.D. Program Offering: Ph.D. Courses During the first year of their Ph.D., students participate in the Neuroscience Core Course. The goal of this two-term core course is to provide a common foundation so that all incoming students have a shared level of competency. This core course aims to teach an overview of all topics through a mix of hands-on laboratory experience, lecture, and computational modeling.In addition to the Neuroscience Core Course, students will take Mathematical Tools for Neuroscience in their first year. This lecture course will introduce students to the mathematical, statistical, and computational tools necessary to analyze, model, and manipulate biological data sets.Graduate students are required to enroll in and participate in the neuroscience seminar series (NEU 511) and select one additional elective course approved by the department. Additional pre-generals requirements RotationsStudents rotate in up to three laboratories during the first year and participate in research projects during each rotation. A student may elect to work with any faculty member or associated faculty member of the program.Faculty/Student Research TalksIn the fall of their first year, graduate students attend a series of informal talks given by PNI faculty. These discussions provide an additional opportunity for first-year students to learn about current research projects.NSF Grant Writing WorkshopIn year 2, students participate in the department's NSF Grant Writing Workshop in preparation for submitting a proposal to the NSF-GRFP in October.Responsible Conduct for Research trainingStudents will complete in-person Responsible Conduct for Research training during their second year of study by enrolling in NEU 592: Ethics in the Practice of Neuroscience or a similar course. General exam The general examination is usually administered in the October general examination period of the third year of study, after students have met all formal course and teaching requirements. Students will present their thesis proposal, demonstrating the command of their chosen research topic and the existing literature surrounding it, and present a logical plan to address key questions that they have identified. Qualifying for the M.A. The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree is an incidental degree on the way to full Ph.D. candidacy and is earned after a student successfully passes the general examination. It may also be awarded to students who, for various reasons, leave the Ph.D. program, provided that the following requirements have been met: completion of the formal courses and a minimum of two laboratory rotations required for Ph.D. students. Research experience must include at least one year of independent work in the laboratory and competency must be demonstrated by passing at least one part of the generals examination. A faculty mentor and the generals exam committee must approve the evaluation of the generals examination. Upon the recommendation of the generals exam committee, a student may be awarded the M.A. degree. Teaching Students are required to teach half time for two semesters, usually in their second year. Post-Generals requirements Committee MeetingsEach graduate student selects a thesis committee that consists of the thesis adviser(s) and two additional faculty members. At least two committee members must be core PNI faculty. The thesis committee meets at least once per year. The purpose of the committee is to advise students during the course of their research. Graduate students are expected to meet with their committee at least once per year.Individual Development PlanAnnual Individual Development Plans are required. Students complete an online form followed by a meeting with their advisor to discuss their IDP and future academic and professional goals. Dissertation and FPO The Ph.D. is awarded after the candidate’s doctoral dissertation has been accepted and the final public oral examination sustained. Program Offering: Joint Degree Program description Understanding how the brain works and how it gives rise to mental function is one of the most exciting challenges in science. This effort is inherently interdisciplinary, drawing upon developments in cellular and molecular biology, genetic engineering, and psychology, and leveraging methods from chemistry, engineering, mathematics, and physics to better measure and understand neural function. The Joint Graduate Degree Program in Neuroscience offers an interdisciplinary program leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in:molecular biology and neurosciencechemistry and neuroscienceecology and evolutionary biology and neuroscienceengineering and neuroscienceapplied and computational mathematics and neurosciencephilosophy and neurosciencephysics and neurosciencecomputer science and neuroscience, orelectrical engineering and neuroscienceThe program encourages the serious study of molecular, cellular, developmental and systems neuroscience as it interfaces with cognitive and behavioral research.Candidates should apply to one of the cooperating home departments:ChemistryEcology and Evolutionary BiologyMolecular BiologyPhilosophyPhysicsPsychologyDepartments in the School of EngineeringProgram in Applied and Computational Mathematics.The candidate should fulfill the admission requirements of the chosen department. Students must select an advisor, or co-advisor, affiliated with the Princeton Neuroscience Institute.Interested students should register as members of the Joint Graduate Degree Program in Neuroscience after their general examination. Please contact the PNI Graduate Program Manager for more information. Courses Joint degree students are required to enroll in two of the following four courses: NEU 501A(Fall)NEU 501B (Fall)NEU 502A (Spring)NEU 502B (Spring)Additionally, all students in the joint program are required to enroll and participate in the neuroscience seminar (NEU 511), which meets several times per semester. General exam Prior to the general examination, students must select a Ph.D. adviser affiliated with the Princeton Neuroscience Institute. Students must satisfy the normal pre-general examination requirements and pass the general examination of their respective home departments. Dissertation and FPO Students must carry out original research toward the dissertation with a core, associated, or affiliated Neuroscience Institute faculty member. In addition, at least one member of the student’s dissertation committee must be a core faculty member of the Princeton Neuroscience Institute, and the student’s Ph.D. dissertation research should have a significant neuroscience component. Program Offering: Certificate Program description Neuroscience is a highly interdisciplinary scientific domain that depends critically on close contact with other fields of inquiry. This is due to the fact that methods for studying the brain often rely on techniques imported from other disciplines, and conversely, insights about the brain are often useful for framing new lines of inquiry in other disciplines. As a consequence of this interdisciplinary, there is a large and growing demand for neuroscience coursework and research experience from across the sciences, engineering, and the humanities. Additionally, there is growing recognition that neuroscientific expertise is a useful asset in a wide variety of professional settings, ranging from law and public health to biomedical engineering and artificial intelligence. The graduate certificate in neuroscience is designed to formalize training of graduate students in neuroscience, and to recognize the achievements of students who have undertaken comprehensive training in these topics, both through formal coursework and through research in their respective subject areas.The graduate certificate welcomes participation from across the University in any field that makes contact with neuroscience as part of scholarship. The certificate is administered by the Princeton Neuroscience Institute and is open to any Princeton University student enrolled in a Ph.D. program who are not enrolled in the Neuroscience Ph.D. program or Neuroscience Joint Degree Program. Upon completion of the program, the certificate is recorded on the student’s transcript, and the student is also presented with a physical certificate issued by the Princeton Neuroscience Institute Director. Courses Certificate students are required to enroll in one of the following four core courses. This requirement is designed to ensure that all students who earn the certificate have a solid foundation in the basic principles of neuroscience.NEU 501A(Fall)NEU 501B (Fall)NEU 502A (Spring)NEU 502B (Spring)One approved neuroscience elective course. This requirement is designed to give students additional training in the neuroscience field. Elective courses can be selected from any graduate level course on campus as long as the course contains a neuroscience related component. Each elective course must be approved by the NEU Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).Research Seminar Course and Journal Club: to learn about the current research in neuroscience and interact with researchers across disciplines, students are required to enroll in the neuroscience graduate seminar course, NEU 511, for two semesters and participate in the seminar journal club.Students must earn a grade of B or higher in the core and elective courses. General exam Students must satisfy the normal pre-general examination requirements and pass the general examination of their respective home departments. Dissertation and FPO The final requirement for the certificate is that the student’s dissertation research must include one chapter of neuroscience research. The student’s thesis committee and dissertation defense committee must include at least one core faculty member of the PNI and email the NEU Director of Graduate Studies certifying the inclusion of neuroscience research in the dissertation. In all cases, the DGS will review the email and confirm that this requirement has been met. Additional requirements Students may enroll in the certificate program by completing an online application on the PNI website. Since Ph.D. students who have entered Dissertation Completion Enrollment (DCE) status are ineligible to enroll in courses, Ph.D. students must enroll in the PNI graduate certificate program in time to complete the course requirements during their regular degree program length. Students are encouraged to apply to the certificate program as soon as possible to ensure that the requirements are met. Program Offering: M.D./Ph.D. Program description The Princeton Graduate School has a partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) and the Rutgers University (New Brunswick) Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences to serve as a Ph.D. site for students enrolled in the M.D./Ph.D. program of RWJMS.For those students considering the dual degree program, please take time to review the M.D./Ph.D General information page (Link is external and opens in new window).The partnership extends to the Neuroscience program and the Department of Molecular Biology. For those interested in neuroscience, students who are admitted to the M.D./Ph.D. program at RWJMS perform laboratory rotations at Princeton during the summer before and the summer after the first year of the pre-clinical portion of the program, prior to their enrollment as doctoral students, and subject to the approval of the faculty member and the Princeton Neuroscience M.D./Ph.D. program director. Following the second rotation, a student will choose a laboratory for Ph.D. research by mutual agreement with a faculty adviser and approval by the Princeton Neuroscience M.D./Ph.D. program director, the chair of the Neuroscience admissions committee, and the Graduate School.Students who are accepted to work with a faculty member in, or an affiliated faculty member of, the Princeton Neuroscience Institute will enter the Ph.D. program and receive that degree from Princeton. These students will fulfill Graduate School and departmental requirements, including the one-year residence requirement, taking and passing the general examination, and sustaining the final public oral examination. (Pre-clinical coursework at RWJMS will typically substitute for some of the department’s core curriculum.)The Ph.D. portion of the joint program is expected to take three to four years. Extension beyond a fourth year requires approval from the Academic Affairs Committee of the joint degree program. Courses M.D./Ph.D. students at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute must take two of the following four courses: NEU 501A, NEU 501B, NEU 502A, or NEU 502B. Students are also expected to enroll in the neuroscience seminar (NEU 511), which meets several times per semester. To ensure that all incoming students are properly prepared to pursue their PhD work with appropriate depth, breadth, and rigor, students must demonstrate proficiency in computational techniques. This proficiency can be demonstrated either through undergraduate coursework or by taking one or more relevant courses (decided in consultation with the NEU M.D./Ph.D. Program Director) during the first year of graduate study at Princeton. General exam The general examination is usually administered in the September/October general examination period of the second year of study, after students have met all formal course requirements. This two-hour oral examination is administered by three faculty members from the graduate program. Students will present their thesis proposal, demonstrating the command of their chosen research topic and the existing literature surrounding it, and present a logical plan to address key questions that they have identified. Qualifying for the M.A. The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree is an incidental degree on the way to full Ph.D. candidacy and is earned after a student successfully passes the examination. It may also be awarded to students who, for various reasons, leave the Ph.D. program, provided that the following requirements are met: completion of the formal course requirements and demonstration of an appropriate level of research competency. Research experience must include at least one year of independent work in the laboratory and competency must be demonstrated by passing at least one part of the general examination. In consultation with the NEU M.D./Ph.D. Program Director, a faculty mentor and the general examination committee must approve the evaluation of the general examination. Post-Generals requirements Committee MeetingsEach graduate student selects a thesis committee that consists of the thesis adviser(s) and two additional faculty members. At least two committee members must be core PNI faculty. The thesis committee meets at least once per year. The purpose of the committee is to advise students during the course of their research. Graduate students are expected to meet with their committee at least once per year.Individual Development PlanAnnual Individual Development Plans are required. Students complete an online form followed by a meeting with their advisor to discuss their IDP and future academic and professional goals. Dissertation and FPO Students must carry out original research toward the dissertation with a core, associated or affiliated Neuroscience Institute faculty member. The student’s dissertation is first read by the adviser then by two additional readers chosen by the student and their advisor. Usually, the second readers are the other members of the student’s thesis committee. Upon acceptance of the dissertation, the student gives a final, public oral presentation of the research to the department. The student will identify two additional faculty members, who are not the principal readers, to serve as the final public oral examiners. The student’s adviser plus the two readers and two final public oral examiners are expected to attend the final public oral presentation. The Ph.D. is awarded after the candidate's doctoral dissertation has been accepted and the final public oral examination sustained. Additional requirements Responsible Conduct for Research trainingM.D./Ph.D. students will complete in-person Responsible Conduct for Research training during their second year of study by enrolling in NEU 592: Ethics in the Practice of Neuroscience or a similar course. Faculty Director Mala Murthy Associate Director Timothy J. Buschman Director of Graduate Studies Jonathan W. Pillow Director of Undergraduate Studies Elizabeth Gould Professor Carlos D. Brody Jonathan D. Cohen Nathaniel D. Daw Asif A. Ghazanfar Elizabeth Gould Michael S. Graziano Uri Hasson Sabine Kastner Mala Murthy Yael Niv Kenneth A. Norman Jonathan W. Pillow H. Sebastian Seung David W. Tank Samuel S. Wang Ilana B. Witten Associate Professor Michael J. Berry Lisa M. Boulanger Timothy J. Buschman Andrew M. Leifer Lindy McBride Assistant Professor Bradley H. Dickerson Tatiana Engel Annegret L. Falkner Jesse Gomez Fenna Krienen Catherine Jensen Peña Associated Faculty William Bialek, Physics Tian-Ming Fu, Electrical & Comp Engineering Casey Lew-Williams, Psychology Elizabeth H. Margulis, Music Erik C. Nook, Psychology Joshua W. Shaevitz, Physics Jordan A. Taylor, Psychology Senior Lecturer Anthony E. Ambrosini Lecturer Lindsay Collins For a full list of faculty members and fellows please visit the department or program website. Permanent Courses Courses listed below are graduate-level courses that have been approved by the program’s faculty as well as the Curriculum Subcommittee of the Faculty Committee on the Graduate School as permanent course offerings. Permanent courses may be offered by the department or program on an ongoing basis, depending on curricular needs, scheduling requirements, and student interest. Not listed below are undergraduate courses and one-time-only graduate courses, which may be found for a specific term through the Registrar’s website. Also not listed are graduate-level independent reading and research courses, which may be approved by the Graduate School for individual students. NEU 501A - Cellular and Circuits Neuroscience (also MOL 501A) A survey of modern neuroscience in lecture format combining theoretical and computational/quantitative approaches. Topics include cellular neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, neural circuits and dynamics, neural development and plasticity, sensory systems, genetic model systems, and molecular neuroscience. This is one-half of a double-credit core course required of all Neuroscience Ph.D. students. NEU 501B - Neuroscience: From Molecules to Systems to Behavior (also MOL 501B) This lab course complements NEU 501A and introduces students to the variety of techniques and concepts used in modern neuroscience, from the point of view of experimental and computational/quantitative approaches. Topics will include synaptic transmission, fluorescent and viral tracers, patch clamp recording in brain slices, optogenetic methods to control neural activity, and computational modeling approaches. In-lab lectures give students the background necessary to understand the scientific content of the labs, but the emphasis is on the labs themselves. Second half of a double-credit core course required of all NEU Ph.D. students. NEU 502A - Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience (also MOL 502A/PSY 502A) A survey of modern neuroscience in lecture format combining theoretical and computational/quantitative approaches. Topics include systems and cognitive neuroscience, perception and attention, learning and behavior, memory, executive function/decision-making, motor control and sequential actions. Diseases of the nervous system are considered. This is one-half of a double-credit core course required of all Neuroscience Ph.D. students. NEU 502B - From Molecules to Systems to Behavior (also MOL 502B) This lab course complements NEU 502A and introduces students to the variety of techniques and concepts used in modern neuroscience, from the point of view of experimental and computational/quantitative approaches. Topics include electrophysiological recording, functional magnetic resonance imaging, psychophysics, and computational modeling. In-lab lectures give students the background necessary to understand the scientific content of the labs, but the emphasis is on the labs themselves. Second half of a double-credit core course required of all Neuroscience Ph.D. students. NEU 511 - Current Issues in Neuroscience and Behavior (also PSY 511) An advanced seminar that reflects current research on the brain and behavior. Research by seminar participants and articles from the literature are discussed. NEU 537 - Systems Neuroscience: Computing with Populations of Neurons (also MOL 537/PSY 517) An introduction to the biophysics of nerve cells and synapses, the mathematical description of neural networks, and how neurons represent information. This course surveys computational modeling and data analysis methods for neuroscience and parallels some topics from 549, but from a computational perspective. Topics include representation of visual information, spatial navigation, short-term memory, and decision-making. Two 90 minute lectures, one laboratory. Lectures in common with MOL 437. Graduate students carry out and write up an in-depth semester-long project. Prerequisite: 410, or elementary knowledge of linear algebra. NEU 543 - Computational Psychiatry Computational psychiatry is an emerging field of research that strives to leverage recent discoveries in the computational basis of high-level cognitive functions in order to understand, diagnose, and treat mental illness. Psychiatry is the only field of medicine where there are currently no laboratory tests, due in part to a lack of understanding what is the biological basis of symptoms. Computational theories of the brains mechanisms for evaluation and decision may provide a foundation for such an understanding and tasks measuring their function can offer objective measures. This seminar discusses recent findings in the field. NEU 545 - Statistics for Neuroscience This is a graduate-level lecture course covering statistical reasoning and techniques for neuroscience. The focus is on, 1. the foundations of statistical inference (probability theory, linear algebra, and statistical models); 2. hierarchical (mixed effect) general linear models as a framework for both classic techniques and modern extensions; 3. other contemporary methods relevant to neuroscience (including nonparametric and Monte Carlo techniques, Bayesian approaches, and estimating models by maximizing likelihood). There is emphasis on practical exercises with computation using R, and on example applications to neuroscientific data. NEU 592 - Ethics in the Practice of Neuroscience (Half-Term) Consistent with requirements of federal training grants, this class broaches significant ethical issues that face scientists. These issues include: i) scientific integrity & misconduct; ii) mentoring; iii) peer review in grants and papers; iv) human subjects and animals in research; v) collaborations and conflicts of interest; vi) the scientist as a responsible member of society. Students read case studies before each class. The instructor provides background lecture, then the students discuss ethical issues raised in the case studies. In addition, two faculty members are invited to each class to provide additional perspective. NEU 594 - Extramural Research Internship Full-time research internship at a host institution, to perform scholarly research relevant to student's dissertation work. Research objectives are determined by advisor in conjunction with outside host. A mid-semester progress review and a final paper are required. Enrollment limited to post-generals students for up to two semesters. Special rules apply to international students regarding CPT/OPT use. NEU 596 - Extramural Research Internship Full-time research internship at a host institution, to perform scholarly research relevant to student's dissertation work. Research objectives are determined by advisor in conjunction with outside host. A mid-summer progress review and a final paper are required. Special rules apply to international students regarding CPT/OPT use. PSY 591A - Responsible Conduct of Research (also NEU 591A) Examination of issues in the responsible conduct of scientific research, including the definition of scientific misconduct, mentoring, authorship, peer review, grant practices, use of humans and of animals as subjects, ownership of data, and conflict of interest. Class will consist primarily of the discussion of cases. Required of all first and second year graduate students in the Department of Psychology. Open to other graduate students.
