Information sheet NEUROSCIENCE Neuroscience The science of the brain
“ Everything you think, everything you Neuroscientists study the nervous system. They do, everything you feel, comes from apply a wide range of scientific disciplines: anatomy, biochemistry, computer science, pharmacology, that 2kg of ugly grey matter inside physiology, psychology, and zoology. It’s all about your skull, and if you start from that understanding how the brain and nervous system work, premise, it’s hard not to be curious and it’s one of the fastest growing areas of science. about how that even begins to be The University of Otago is the only New Zealand possible.” university to offer an undergraduate degree in neuroscience. As an interdisciplinary programme, it is Irene Ballagh Neuroscience Graduate taught by staff from a large number of departments. Each teaches a separate “neuro” component – but the result is a coherent, integrated subject in its own right.
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0800 80 80 98 www.otago.ac.nz txt 866 [email protected] June 2013 profile skilled workers. of shortage areas wherethereisaworldwide employers, in includingtechnicalexpertise valuable skillsthatarewidely soughtafterby study alsopossess proceed topostgraduate whodonot Those neurosciencegraduates physiotherapy, audiology, and bioengineering. fields. Forexample, medicine, pharmacy, specialisation inprofessional orapplied degree for those proceedingtopostgraduate Neuroscience alsoprovides aconvenient first institution. and teachingatauniversity, orinaresearch a PhD. You researching couldthenwork BSc you would completeaBSc(Hons)and To becomeaneuroscientist, following your Career opportunities School, year ofstudy. totheirfirst prior Summer paperduring Chemistry the Bridging arestrongly advisedtoenrolin in chemistry recommended. Studentswithoutgoodmarks Taking andbiologyto chemistry Year 13is Background required space medicine. scienceto fromsports human performance controls movement on helpsthoseworking Knowing perceives how stimuli thebrain and processingandrobotics. information modelsfor highlevel provides important andclinicalpsychologists– psychiatrists What theyfindhelpsneurologists, develops andchangesover time. ordamage, andhow it it dealswithinjury functions, how thebrain to understand how Neuroscientists areitsexplorers. They try unknown. isafinalfrontier…lastgreat The brain Why study neuroscience? be possible.” abouthow thatevento becurious beginsto fromthatpremise, it’sif you start hardnot 2kg ofugly greymatterinsideyour skull, and you do, you feel, everything comesfromthat she says, you think, “Everything everything about herneurosciencestudies. Because, as interests wasn’ttheonly thingthatIreneliked Tailoring toherown theprogramme adventure.” ofchooseyour own easytosort it’s very for your degree...choosing thecourses “There’s ahugeamountoffreedomin “It waseasytoswitchinto,” Ireneexplains. Neuroscience programme. tothe made for asmoothtransition Fortunately, Otago’s flexible degreestructure thing you cando?” thinking remembers “Wow, that’s actually a hersecondyear ofstudy.during She to discover theNeuroscienceprogramme and psychology, IreneBallaghwasdelighted Fascinated by biochemistry, molecularbiology, Irene Ballagh Otago!” “preferably onewithanenvironment like teaching atauniversity,” Irenesays, alabofmy own while “Eventually start And inthelongterm? positions tocontinue herresearchintheUS. She’s now applying for post-doctoral inNew University York, for herPhDstudies. neuroscience hastaken hertoColumbia Since graduation, Irene’s passionfor questions thatareamazing.” for tolookfor answers love thatIgettotry back andthinkaboutwhatI’mdoing, Istill tothese, time Isit the answers but every We’re alongway offreally understanding thathumansarecapable of? and dexterity your muscles todotheamazingfeats ofskill impulses?How doyouelectrical instruct “How doyou createathoughtfrom website. aredoingonour neuroscience graduates You canreaddetailsaboutwhatseveral research. those interestedinacareerneuroscience for idealpreparation offers This elitecourse completing theirBachelorofScience(BSc). after (BSc(Hons))programme Honours totheBachelorofSciencewith for entry well canapply Students whodoparticularly BSc (Hons) the latestfindings. neuroscience, withanemphasisonexploring covering advancedtopicsin of papers By thirdyear studentschoosefromalist Third year genetics. zoology, pharmacology, biochemistry, and in neuroscience, from asdooptionalpapers anatomy andphysiology fillinmoredetails inpsychology,Core requiredpapers Second year their secondyear. change toneurosciencecandoPSYC111in withHealthSciencesFirst start Year andthen the exceptionofPSYC111. Studentswho year healthsciencecourse, with in thefirst areincluded Note thatmostofthesepapers for moredetails. options areavailable. Pleaseseeourwebsite (CHEM191)but other choose chemistry arerequired;Additional papers moststudents psychology (PSYC111). system(HUBS191);nervous andbiological 191); humanbiology, ofthe particularly introductions tocellularbiology(CELS provide year papers Essential first First year What papers doItake? Jasoniisresearchinghow a DrChristine • AssociateProfessor ColinBrown is • AssociateProfessor JohnReynoldsis • AssociateProfessor Mike Paulin is • Professor Cliff • For example: as postgraduates. inthelabwithOtago’swork neuroscientists other) researchasundergraduates, andcan aboutthis(and Neuroscience studentslearn are involved ofexciting research. inarange ofOtago Neuroscientists attheUniversity Neuroscience research reports. examinationsandlaboratory include written and discussions. and Assessments arevaried willhavethird year papers group projects sessions, while of lecturesandlaboratory aretaughtthroughacombination papers between papers. andsecond year Many first neuroscience programme, teachingstylesvary natureofthe Due totheinterdisciplinary How willIstudy? risk ofmentalillness. risk toelevate ofthefetalthe formation brain mother’s pregnancyaffects healthduring lactation, food intake andwater balance. controlsbirth, how thebrain determining disease andstroke. skills, focus onParkinson’s withaparticular interested inhow andremember we learn and efficiently. tomoveinformation quickly, accurately investigating how animalsusesensory agentsfor therapeutic Alzheimer’s disease. and lab isalsoinvestigating biomarkers mechanismsofmemory.the neural His For questions aboutNeuroscience www.otago.ac.nz/neuroscience isinterestedin Abraham