Neuroscience
Offered by the Psychology department.

Neuroscience, the study of the nervous system, advances the understanding of the biological basis of thought, emotion, and behavior.

Neuroscience includes the study of brain development, sensation and perception, learning and memory, movement, sleep, stress, aging, neurological and psychiatric disorders, molecules, cells, and genes responsible for nervous system functioning.

Neuroscientists use a wide range of tools and approaches to examine molecules, nerve cells, neural networks, brain systems, and behavior. From these studies, they learn how the nervous system develops and functions normally and what goes wrong in neurological disorders.

Programs

Faculty

Jani Benoit

Professor of Chemistry

Laura Ekstrom

Associate Professor of Biology

Katherine Eskine

Assistant Professor of Psychology

Meg Kirkpatrick

Associate Professor of Psychology, Associate Provost

Kathleen Morgan

Associate Professor of Psychology

Robert L. Morris

Professor of Biology; William & Elsie Prentice Professorship (2015-2020)

Rolf Nelson

Professor of Psychology; Dorothy Reed Williams Professor in the Social Sciences (2015-2020)

Internships

Sydney Murphy

2021, German Studies, Neuroscience

Barbara Frelinghuysen Israel Internship

Atlantis Fellowship, Belgrade, Serbia

I experienced the stress that doctors feel, the importance of education and training and the impact that medical care can have on communities. The program changed my expectation of life after medical school and kindled my passion for providing healthcare to others.

Michaela (Maxie) Zimmerman

2020, Neuroscience

Dan Golden Fellowship

OFF-SEASON Sports & Physical Therapy, North Andover, MA

I learned that physical therapists genuinely care about their patients. They take time out of their day to get to know their patients, and make sure they are improving every visit. Their desire to help people is what I love most about the profession.

Sidney Sipes

2021, Neuroscience

Mars Fellows Career Exploration Fund

Southwick's Zoo, Mendon, MA

This experience brought me closer to learning what I want to do for a career, which is to be a keeper for primates. I would like to further explore my interest in great apes after caring for chimpanzees during this internship.

Anna Lally

2021, Neuroscience, English (minor)

Caroline C. Edwards '70 Current Use Internship Fund

Healey Lab, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA

This experience provided an introduction to the career I hope to have in the field of neuroscience research. The skills I gained will allow me to move forward, not only in my academic work but also in my professional work outside of the classroom.

Aaron Howe

2020, Neuroscience

Wheaton Edge Fellowship

Wheaton College Psychology Department, Professor Lisa Maeng, Norton, MA

I developed a ton of skills that will help me in a future career in research.

Melanie Gardiner

2021, Neuroscience

Nancy Gagnon and Carolyn Sapir Wheaton Fund for Experiential Learning

Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum, Bristol, RI

This internship confirmed my true love for research. I suspected before the internship that I wanted to do research as a career, but my summer experience of observational research deepened a true passion within me.

Outcomes

100% of Neuroscience majors from the past five years have found employment or attended graduate school *

100%
of Neuroscience majors

Recent Graduates


Sample First Jobs

  • Associate Scientist, ALS Therapy Development Institute
  • Neurology and Neurosurgery Clinical Assistant, Rhode Island Hospital
  • Nursing Assistant, Maine Medical Center
  • Research Assistant, Boston Children’s Hospital
  • Scientist, Pfizer


Sample Graduate Schools

  • Dartmouth College
  • Duke University Medical
  • Northeastern University
  • Tulane University
  • University of Vermont Medical School

*outcomes data is based on a knowledge rate of 73% for the classes of 2014-2018