Connectionists: PhD Program in Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine

[Wei Ji Ma]

PhD Program in Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

Applicants with a theoretical/quantitative background particularly
welcome!

 

Deadline: January 1

 

Theory and computation are essential in trying to understand the human
brain. Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) has a core group of faculty who
incorporate theoretical and computational methods in studies of
perception and cognition in health and psychiatric disease. Our Graduate
Program in Neuroscience offers students with a strong quantitative and
analytical background the opportunity to apply their skills to
challenging problems in brain research, while receiving world-class
training across the breadth of neuroscience.

 

Engineering, computer science, physics, and mathematics are not
traditionally associated with investigating perception and cognition.
Yet students from these and related disciplines often possess the skills
and mindset necessary to help build theoretical frameworks for
experimental data. In our Department of Neuroscience, this can take on
many forms, such as advanced analysis of neuroimaging data,
computational studies using animal models of sensation and cognition,
studying the functional architecture of cortical circuits and how
information is processed across populations of neurons, investigating
the neural mechanisms of time perception, modeling anomalies of reward
processing in psychiatric patients, studying the dynamics of
decision-making in groups, or developing Bayesian theories of human
perception.

 

The computationally oriented neuroscience laboratories at BCM (Chiu,
Eagleman, Gabbiani, King-Casas, LaConte, Ma, Montague, Saggau, Tolias)
also conduct human behavioral, neuroimaging or neurophysiological
studies, thereby allowing for a direct interplay between theory and
experiment. This is aided by state-of-the-art imaging and computing
facilities, as well as active collaborations with other
neurophysiological laboratories and clinical divisions. Students will
acquire the tools and training that will position them for
groundbreaking interdisciplinary research after the completion of their
program, as well as for many other possible career paths.

 

The graduate program leading to a Ph.D. in neuroscience is designed as a
five-year program. In the first year, students complete basic courses
that provide them with a strong background in all facets of
neuroscience. Concurrently, they familiarize themselves with ongoing
research through rotations in the laboratories of Neuroscience faculty
of their choice. At the end of the first year, students choose an
advisor, enter into the lab full-time, and develop suitable thesis
research projects. At this stage, several electives devoted to advanced
theoretical and computational topics are available.

 

There is no application fee and our program offers free tuition and a
very competitive stipend. Houston is a very attractive city for living
(http://kiplinger.com/features/archives/2008/05/2008-best-city-houston.h
tml). 

 

The deadline for submitting your application is January 1, however, our
program may begin considering applications in December, so an early
application is suggested.

 

For more information:

-          Department of Neuroscience: http://neuro.bcm.edu 

-          Neuroscience Graduate Program: http://neuro.bcm.edu/think or
contact Dr. Mariella DeBiasi, Director of Graduate Studies, at
debiasi at bcm.edu. 

-          Computational Psychiatry Unit: http://cpu.bcm.edu/labs.html

-          Gulf Coast Consortium for Theoretical and Computational
Neuroscience: http://neuro.neusc.bcm.tmc.edu/?sct=emp_tcn 

 

 

--

Wei Ji (Whee Ky) Ma, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Department of Neuroscience <http://neuro.bcm.edu/> 

Baylor College of Medicine <http://www.bcm.edu/> 

Houston, TX 77030

Phone: 1-713-798-8407

http://neuro.bcm.edu/malab <http://neuro.bcm.edu/malab> 

 

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