Program in Neuroscience College of Medicine University of Illinois at Chicago

A Focus in the Neurosciences

UIC's Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology strongly focuses on the neurosciences. The program applies the cellular, molecular, organizational, and behavioral approaches to this field of biology. Research interests range from aging in the brain and the effect of hormones on behavior to the molecular biology of ion channels and the regulation of axonal transport.

The program aims to produce doctoral students who will become neuroscientists and cell biologists who will contribute to current understanding of cellular and neuronal function.

The department also participates in two interdepartmental graduate programs, the Graduate Education in Medical Sciences Program (GEMS) and the Graduate Program in Neuroscience.

Research into Therapeutic Strategies for Disease

The ambition of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology is to take significant strides toward understanding the normal and disease states. The department's research will thus ultimately lead to the development of therapeutic strategies for diseases, such as psychiatric disorders, deafness, multiple sclerosis and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease as well as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and developmental disorders like Krabbe?s disease.

Broad Training in Anatomy and Cell Biology

First-year graduate students receive comprehensive instruction in biochemistry and cell, molecular, and structural biology. The department offers several critical courses within the department, including Cellular and Systems Neurobiology, Neuroendocrinology, Concepts of Synaptic Structure and Function, Chemical and Molecular Plasticity, and Sensory Motor Systems.

Courses are delivered through lecture, small group laboratory sessions, and small seminars. In addition, a Journal Club meets over lunch once a week to discuss "hot topics," interact with visiting speakers, and provide a non-threatening environment in which students can practice presenting their research and ideas.

Before the end of their first year, graduate students chose a faculty adviser. The department's laboratories are small, ensuring that graduate students work closely with their adviser.

Full-time graduate students are supported by stipends, tuition waivers, and research grants, and will discover multiple opportunities to choose an adviser and laboratory.

An Expansive Offering of Courses and Seminars

The graduate program also offers a Seminar Series each semester in which leading researchers and scientists from the United States and abroad give talks. Students also get an opportunity to meet speakers and discuss research at an informal breakfast or lunch.

A recent series on "Genes, Hormones, and Behavior," given in conjunction with the neuroendocrinology course, for example, featured seminars given by top researchers in neural plasticity of birdsong, estrogen effects on synaptic plasticity, and sexual dimorphism of the brain.

Close Collaboration with Other UIC Departments

The graduate program benefits significantly from interdisciplinary collaborations across the University of Illinois at Chicago campus. The department works together with the interdepartmental neuroscience program for the development of courses and additional research resources. Outcomes from this academic cooperation include multidisciplinary approaches to unique animal models and the development of novel imaging approaches to the nervous system.

A Renowned Faculty

The Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology is distinguished by the stimulating and cutting-edge research interests of its faculty. Faculty members publish their research findings in prestigious journals and participate in review panels and advisory groups for the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and NASA.

Within UIC, the department's faculty has been recognized for excellence in teaching by peers as well as by students.

First-Rate Facilities That Enable Leading-Edge Research

UIC features state-of-the-art research facilities and resources that are the hallmarks of a first-rate, research-oriented institution. Over 100 Graduate Education in Medical Sciences (GEMS) research programs are housed in the major research buildings of UIC's West-Side campus.

The Molecular Biology Research Building (MBR) is a 230,000-square-foot research facility that houses 56 principal investigators and 108 laboratories. Researchers from both the basic science and clinical science departments conduct individual and collaborative research at the MBR.

The 300,000-square-foot, $140-million College of Medicine Research Building is one of the most modern facilities in the country and encompasses laboratory space for over 100 principal investigators.

Additionally, the University Research Resources Center includes a computer facility with a Silicon Graphics molecular structure computer workstation; instrumentation for fluorescence-activated cell sorting and analysis; and facilities for the synthesis and analysis of DNA, proteins, and peptides.

The Rich Intellectual Environment of UIC

With an abundance of resources and scholarship, the University of Illinois at Chicago provides a rich intellectual environment for graduate students in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology. UIC ranks among the nation's top 50 universities in federal research funding. In addition, UIC is home to 15 colleges, 12,000 faculty and staff, and 25,000 students, making it the largest university in Chicago.

The University of Illinois' College of Medicine, which shares multiple resources with the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, is the largest medical school in the country with over 2,600 culturally and economically diverse medical students and trainees.

City of Chicago Provides Entertainment and Resources

A major metropolitan center of the Midwest, the city of Chicago provides a wealth of academic, cultural, arts, and social resources for students. Students can enjoy trips to the Art Institute of Chicago, the Civic Opera House, or the Joffrey Ballet. The city has also given rise to well-known groups of improvisational theater such as Second City and has spawned its own genres of blues, jazz, and gospel music.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Cellular And Systems Neuroscience And Cell Biology Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees Not reported
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Not reported
• Evening/weekend programs available? Not reported
• Distance learning programs available? Not reported
• Terminal master's degree available? Not reported

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Not reported
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *$6,100
• Out-of-state tuition *$15,154
• International student tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year fees$1,970.00
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitNot Reported
• Application deadlines for financial awardsNot Reported
• Types of financial support availableNot Reported

• Faculty Breakout
• Total Faculty18
• Full-time Percentage100%
• Part-time Percentage0%
• Female Percentage44%
• Male Percentage56%