Biomedical Neuroscience

To see more about this joint program, read information on the Boston University School of Medicine site.

Admission to the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience

Graduate students who have already applied for admission in an established, department-based, degree-granting graduate program (e.g., Physiology and Biophysics), and who also wish to study neuroscience at BUSM, will apply for admission to the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience either at the time of their application or during their first academic year. Any student who meets the criteria for acceptance into the departmental graduate program of any of the participating departments, and who also expresses a commitment to meet the requirements of the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience (see below), will be eligible for acceptance into the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience. All students must also meet the requirements of their respective departmental graduate programs. MD/PhD students are also eligible to participate in the program.

For application information, contact the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences, Boston University School of Medicine, 715 Albany Street, L-317, Boston, MA 02118-2394; 617-638-5120. For specific information contact Sara Johnson, Administrative Manager, at 617-638-4302, or the individual investigators.

Degree Requirements of the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience

A. Course Requirements

Students who participate in the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience must fulfill the requirements of their department-based graduate program; students enrolled in training grants may also have additional course requirements.

The Division of Graduate Medical Sciences requires post-bachelor’s PhD students to complete the equivalent of 64 credits of graduate-level courses and research, of which a minimum 24 credits must be in formal coursework. Each student in the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience is required to complete 14 course credits derived from the required courses listed below (note that various department-based graduate programs also require some of these courses). The remaining course credits that are needed to fulfill a particular department’s requirements are expected to include elective courses in the area of neuroscience (listed below). Each department-based graduate program also requires a certain number of laboratory research credits, and it is expected that students in the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience will perform such research in laboratories that pursue neuroscience research. All students in the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience are required to attend the ongoing Series on the Responsible Conduct of Research, sponsored by Boston University School of Medicine and the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences. Although not a formal course, students are also required to attend the Seminar Series sponsored by the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience.

1. Required Courses (14–18 credits)

a. Either the first course, or the second and third course, and the fourth course (10 or 12 credits):

• GMS MS 703 Neuroscience  6 cr or
• GMS AN 810 Systems Neurobiology 4 cr and
• GMS AN 811 Cognitive Neuroscience 4 cr

and

• GMS PM 700 Molecular Neurobiology and Pharmacology 4 cr

b. One of the following courses (4–8 credits):

• GMS MS 753 Cell Biology 4 cr
• GMS BI 751 Biochemistry or
• GMS BI 755 and/or
• BI 756 4 cr

c. One of the following three courses (other mathematics courses can be substituted, depending upon the student’s background) (2–4 credits):

• Course Number TBA. An Introduction to Mathematical Models & Data Analysis in Neuroscience 2 cr
• GMS CI 670 Biostatistics with Computer 4 cr
• GMS MS 700 Elementary Biostatistics 2 cr

As stated above, each department-based graduate program has its own specific requirements. In addition to the core program courses indicated above, the departmental requirements are:

Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology (8–10 cr.)

• GMS AN 701 Gross Anatomy 8
• GMS AN 705  Microscopic Anatomy of Tissues and Organs 6
• GMS AN 706  Anatomy Seminar  2

Program in Behavioral Neuroscience (16 cr.)

• GMS BN 775, 776  Human Neuropsychology, I, II 4, 4
• GMS BN 796   Neuropsychological Assessment I  4
• GMS BN 798* Functional Neuroanatomy in Neuropsychology 4

*not required of MD/PhD students

Department of Biochemistry (6–8 cr.)

• GMS BI 751 Biochemistry (same as in 1b above) 6 or
• GMS MS 753 Cell Biology (same as 1b above) 4
• GMS BI 854 Biochemistry Seminar 2

Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine (12 cr.)

• GMS PA 700 Basic and Experimental Pathology 6
• GMS PA 510 Medical Immunology 2
• GMA PA 801, 801S Special Topics in Pathology 2
• GMS PA 800, 800S Pathology Seminar 2

Department of Pharmacology (10–14 cr.)

• GMS MS 753 Cell Biology (same as in 1b above) 4 or
• GMS Biochemistry (same as 1b above) 8
• GMS PM 810  Current Topics in Pharmacological Sciences 2
• GMS PH 542 Human Physiology 4

Department of Physiology & Biophysics

Biophysics PhD (24–26 cr.)

• GMS BI 751 Biochemistry (same as in 1b above)  6
• GMS BY 771  Foundations of Biophysics and Structural Biology 6
• GMS BY 771 Biophysics of Macromolecular Assemblies 4
• GMS BY 871, 872 Special Topics in Biophysics/Student Seminar

Physiology PhD (24–26 cr.)

• GMS MS 753 Cell Biology (same as in 1b above) 4 or
• GMS MS 751 Biochemistry (same as in 1n above) 6
• GMS PH 542, 543 Human Physiology A, B  4, 4
• GMS PH 741, 742 Experimental Methods in Physiology A, B 4, 4
• GMS PH 842 Physiology Seminar 4

2. Elective Courses

Along with the courses listed above as requirements for the specific department-based graduate programs, the following elective courses are available to students in the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience:

• GMS AN 702 Neurobiology of Learning and Memory 2
• GMS AN 707 Neurobiology of Aging 2
• GMS AN 709 Neural Development and Plasticity 2
• GMS AN 804 Special Topics in Anatomy 2
• GMS AN 807 Neurobiology of the Visual System 2
• GMS AN 808 Neuroanatomical Basis of Neurological Disorders 2
• GMS BI 782 Molecular Biology 4
• GMS BI 783 Structure and Function of Proteins 2
• GMS BI 786 Pathobiochemistry 2
• GMS BI 789 Physical Biochemistry 2
• GMS BI 790 Receptors and Signal Transduction 2
• GMS BN 780 Behavioral and Biological Aspects of Stress and Trauma 4
• GMS BN 793 Neuropsychology of Language 4
• GMS BN 795 Neuropsychology of Perception and Memory 4
• GMS BN 797 Neuropsychological Assessment II 4
• GMS BN 821 Seminar in Neuroimaging 2
• GMS BN 891, 892 Case Studies in Neuropsychology 2, 2
• GMS BY 760 Foundations in Biophysics and Structural Biology 6
• GMS BY 771 Biophysics of Molecular Assemblies 4
• GMS BY 772 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Biology and Biochemistry 2
• GMS BY 774 Metabolism and Cellular Function of Complex Lipids 2
• GMS BY 781 Human Genetics 4
• GMS BY 783, 784 Molecular Basis of Neurological Disease 2, 2
• GMS PH 740 Physiology 6
• GMS PH 843, 844 Cellular Physiology I, II 4, 4
• GMS PM 800 Advanced General Phamacology 2
• GMS PM 820 Behavioral Pharmacology 2
• GMS PM 840 Neuroendocrine Pharmacology 2

Research Requirements

Each participating academic department or program has its own research requirement (course listings below). It is expected that, for students participating in the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience, most research credits will involve work performed in laboratories engaged in neuroscience research.

• Anatomy and Neurobiology GMS AN 901/902
• Behavioral Neuroscience GMS BN 991, 992
• Biochemistry GMS BI 951
• Biophysics GMS BY 945, 946
• Pathology GMS PA 901, 901S
• Pharmacology GMS PM 931, 932
• Physiology GMS PH 941, 942

Qualifying Examination

All students in the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience must pass the qualifying examination of their department-based graduate program, an examination that precedes the student’s formal entry into doctoral research. The goal of these exams, which typically take the form of a written test and an oral discussion, is to evaluate the students’ command of information in the discipline of their graduate program and in neuroscience, their ability to think critically, and their ability to solve scientific problems.

The composition of the qualifying examination committee for a student in the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience will be in accordance with the guidelines established by the particular department, but will include at least one member of the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience faculty. In those circumstances where departmental requirements necessitate scheduling the qualifying exam prior to a student’s completion of course requirements for the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience, permission will be given, on an ad hoc basis by the attendant member of the Executive Committee, for the student to proceed with the examination. A student in good academic standing who fails the qualifying examination (written or oral component) may be permitted an opportunity to remedy this failure, in accordance with the rules of the department-based graduate program.

Dissertation Research

An intensive period of full-time research in neuroscience is the central element of the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience. The student’s research advisor (mentor) must be a member of the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience faculty.

In accordance with departmental guidelines, approximately 6 months after passing the qualifying examination, the student will present a dissertation research proposal to a research advisory committee that contains at least two members of the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience faculty. This committee is typically charged with monitoring and evaluating the student’s research direction and progress on a regular basis. It is anticipated that students will engage in full-time neuroscience research, under the direct supervision of their research advisor, for approximately three years.

Oral Defense of the Dissertation Research

At the completion of the dissertation research project, each student will prepare a written thesis documenting his or her research project. The format of this thesis document, as well as the acceptance of the dissertation research and its attendant oral defense, will be in accordance with the guidelines of the particular department-based graduate program and the University.

The composition of the dissertation defense committee will be based upon departmental requirements, but will include at least two members of the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience faculty. The student will present a public seminar of the dissertation research to the general BUSM community (i.e., the department, the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience, and the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences). The department-based graduate program and the Program in Biomedical Neuroscience will advertise this seminar.