Neuroscience Graduate Program
In bringing together scientists: “We’re searching for synergy”
By Eva Emerson
Packed within the human brain are a trillion nerve cells constantly communicating through a vast and intricate network that stretches across the body. Somehow, this buzz of activity creates consciousness, language, memory, vision, movement and more.
At USC, understanding how the brain functions is a goal that unites a diverse group of basic scientists, engineers and clinical researchers active in the universitywide Neuroscience Graduate Program (NGP).
“An interdisciplinary approach is essential in neuroscience research and education,” says neurobiologist Larry W. Swanson, the Milo Don and Lucille Appleman Professor of Biological Sciences and director of the program, which is led by the College.
The sheer complexity of the brain demands such a broad approach. NGP draws upon the knowledge of more than 100 faculty members from biology, psychology, linguistics, computer science, biomedical engineering, neurology, psychiatry, pharmacy, gerontology and other disciplines found in USC College, and in the schools of engineering, gerontology, medicine and pharmacy.
The research community also is strengthened by the involvement of scientists from the Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering, the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, the Center for Neural Engineering, the Doheny Eye Institute, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and others.
“The Neuroscience Graduate Program is a good example of how interdisciplinary research can be successfully developed and sustained,” says USC President Steven B. Sample.
Graduate training consists of a limited number of required courses and a heavy emphasis on student research. First-year students take part in a yearlong core course that introduces the many disciplines and approaches that make up the neurosciences.
Thanks to special funding from the Provost, first-year students receive fellowships that allow them to work in a variety of faculty labs from any of the member departments or schools. The next years are designed for students to begin focusing coursework and research on an area of interest, which will eventually lead to a thesis and a Ph.D.
In addition to educating the next generation of neuroscientists, the program has helped create a stimulating environment for the creation of new knowledge about the brain and has become the center of USC neuroscience efforts. The graduate program, through its shared students, courses, seminars and regular activities, such as the weekly “neuro lunch,” helps cement relationships and foster collaborations across the USC neuroscience community. The program also coordinates the recruitment and retention of leading scientists, and provides an infrastructure for shared resources and research projects that involve multiple units.
“We’re searching for synergy,” Swanson says. “We complement each other’s work, and that creates an exciting atmosphere for research.”
Current strengths of the USC neuroscience research community are:
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Vision The vision research group studies the visual system from the initial sensing of light to the complex brain processes involved in seeing and recognition, and apply their findings to clinical problems and research in machine vision.
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Learning and Memory USC researchers have mapped neural networks involved in memory and simple learning, and study molecular and cellular mechanisms.
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Behavior Investigators focus on the biological basis of behaviors, studying basic drives and the roots of aggression and violence.
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Systems USC scientists have made a mark showing how the parts of the brain act in a series or in unison to produce complex behaviors.
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Aging Researchers look at the effects of aging on the brain and nervous system, and have helped define normal aging of the brain.
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Clinical Neuroscience USC scientists and clinicians study and search for treatments for debilitating diseases of the brain and nervous system, including Alzheimer’s disease and depression.
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Technology and Neuroscience Faculty are at work on a neural prosthesis, or brain chip, and new brain imaging tools. Computational neuroscientists study the intersection of the brain and computers.
With the support of the university, Swanson is leading efforts to enhance the stature of the graduate program, with an ultimate goal of USC’s becoming one of the top programs in the nation. To do this, he plans on more research space, additional state-of-the-art equipment and substantial growth in faculty.
Yet most important, Swanson says, will be the continued support of scientific collaborations that cross discipline, school and campus.
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