Behavioral Neuroscience
Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratories in the news:
BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE LABORATORIES NOW:
Aging and Alzheimer’s Research
Endocannabinoid, Stress, and Inflammation
Sleep and Sleep Disorders
The Behavioral Neuroscience program at West Virginia University is the newest and fastest growing area in the Department of Psychology. As a student in Behavioral Neuroscience, you will work closely with highly experienced faculty to study the biological bases of behavior. Training in Behavioral Neuroscience will prepare you for a career in research in academics, academic medicine, government, and/or industry.
Students in Behavioral Neuroscience study complex interactions between the brain and other physiological systems. You will be trained in basic brain sciences, including neuroanatomy, behavioral research techniques, statistical analyses of data, and research ethics. Advanced topics may cover topics such as behavioral endocrinology, neuroinflammation, sleep disorders, circadian rhythmicity, behavioral pharmacology, and psychoneuroimmunology.
As a student in Behavioral Neuroscience, you will work closely with your faculty mentor to develop research projects, which may also involve collaboration with other departments at WVU and beyond. Student involvement in research is central to training in Behavioral Neuroscience, and thus, once you have learned essential skills, you will be expected to design and carry out your own research projects soon after entering the program.
Program of Study
Training in Behavioral Neuroscience consists of coursework and extensive research training in a laboratory setting, leading to the completion of a PhD in four years. The coursework consists of set core requirements, and advanced topics are chosen by the student in consultation with their Advising Committee, to create an individualized program of skills and knowledge toward the completion of the dissertation project.
During the first two years of study, you will work with your faculty mentor to design, carry out, and write up for publication a Master’s thesis. At the end of the second year, students will complete the candidacy exam. Successful completion of the candidacy exam admits you to candidacy for the PhD. At this time, most formal coursework is complete, and you will focus on completing work on the dissertation project.
For more information on the specific requirements and program timeline, please read the Behavioral Neuroscience Student Handbook Supplement. For information about how to apply to the Behavioral Neuroscience program, please click here.
Facilities and Financial support
The laboratories in the Behavioral Neuroscience program are located in the Life Sciences Building, a state-of-the-art facility located on the main campus of West Virginia University, in Morgantown, West Virginia. Each lab is outfitted with modern equipment within our building. For example, these labs include facilities for sleep electrophysiology, actigraphy, operant conditioning, western blotting, single and multi-unit recording, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, surgery, and automated behavioral analysis systems. In addition, all faculty members of Behavioral Neuroscience program are also members of the Center for Neuroscience, a multi-disciplinary collaborative group of investigators who share resources and core facilities including histology, transgenic model generation, confocal microscopy, and brain imaging.
Students will be given the opportunity to gain teaching experience, which offers not only opportunities to gain experience in preparation as future faculty members and public speakers, but is also helpful while reviewing for the candidacy exam. Fellowships are also available on a competitive basis though the Behavioral and Biomedical T32 Training Grant, and dissertation award are also available on a competitive basis though the university.
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