Center for Cognitive Neuroscience
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GRADUATE STUDY & TRAINING IN COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE


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Graduate study in Cognitive Neuroscience at UCI is supported by faculty participation from a number of Departments. Currently, the Center does not directly admit students for graduate study at UCI. Students interested in graduate study in Cognitive Neuroscience may contact the Center for advice in determining which Departmental Program is best suited to their needs and academic background. Requirements for graduate admissions and training differ considerably across Departments. Commensurate with the multidisciplinary nature of cognitive neuroscience participating Departments are likely to admit students with a variety of undergraduate educational backgrounds. These include, but are not necessarily limited to, undergraduate degrees in psychology/cognitive science, neuroscience, biology, computer science, mathematics, and engineering.

For more information contact the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at ccns@uci.edu or the Graduate Directors of participating Departments.


Information on individual Graduate Programs

Department of Cognitive Sciences
http://www.cogsci.uci.edu/gradProgram.php

Department of Neurobiology & Behavior
http://neurobiology.uci.edu/frames/gp_frameset.html

Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology
http://www.ucihs.uci.edu/anatomy/graduate.html

Office of Graduate Studies and Research at UCI
http://www.rgs.uci.edu/grad/

Apply for Graduate Study at UCI

 Training in Cognitive Neuroscience at UCI takes place in close collaboration with world-renowned scientists and within research laboratories across campus, as well as through a large number of courses focused on various content areas (e.g., memory, visual and auditory perception, language, music) and on methodology (e.g., physics of fMRI, experimental and statistical approaches to neuroimaging, signals and systems).

The campus houses two fully staffed research-grade fMRI facilities (3T and 4T), EEG, PET, and TMS laboratories, several fully equipped Vision, Hearing, and Motor Systems laboratories, as well as other research infrastructure for graduate training in Cognitive Neuroscience.

For more information on opportunities for research training see individual laboratory links on the faculty page. Below is a partial list of Cognitive Neuroscience and related undergraduate and graduate courses offered at UCI.

GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

GRADUATE COURSES

PSYCH 260A Cognitive Neuroscience. Introduction to cognitive neuroscience. Discusses the neural basis of higher cognitive functions such as perception, attention, language, memory, and executive function as understood from functional brain imaging, neuropsychological disorders, and other neuroscience techniques.

PSYCH 261N Cortical Neuroscience. Physiology of the cerebral cortex, theoretical neuroscience, and the neural basis of perception.

PSYCH 265A-B Introduction to Functional MRI. Describes the fundamentals of imaging the human brain function using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). 265A: Basic MRI physics and image acquisition for fMRI; experimental design for fMRI. 265B: Fundamentals of fMRI data processing and analysis; fMRI data acquisition and analysis lab.

PSYCH 266 Genetic Bases of Sensory and Cognitive Processes. Explores genetic bases of sensory and cognitive functions. Mutations affecting vision, hearing, learning, and memory in animal model systems. General and specific cognitive abilities and failures in humans. Environmental effects on gene regulation, origin of new functions, and quantitative genetics.

PSYCH 269 Special Topics in Cognitive Neuroscience. Current research in cognitive neuroscience.

PSYCH 236 Multivariate Time Series Analysis. Introduces multivariate time series analysis theory and methods emphasizing computational methods in spectral analysis, autoregressive modeling, information theory, principal and independent components analysis, and nonlinear dynamics. Applications to human neuroimaging data are extensively discussed.

NEUROBIO 201A Research in Neurobiology and Behavior. Cognitive neuroscience of human memory.

NEUROBIO 202A, B, C Foundations of Neuroscience. Intended to expose students to critical reading and analysis of the primary neuroscience literature. Instructors from departments associated with the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program participate and discuss topics of current interest.

NEUROBIO 208A-B Systems Neuroscience. Study of the mammalian nervous system at the systems level. Anatomy and physiology of sensory, motor, and integrative functions.

NEUROBIO 209 Behavioral Neuroscience. Overview of fundamental conceptual and experimental issues in behavioral neuroscience, emphasizing behavioral endocrinology, aggression, emotion, the neurobiology of learning and memory, and addiction. The approach is a cross-level integration of research in molecular-genetic, cellular, circuit, systems, and behavioral analyses.

NEUROBIO 239 Functional Imaging of the Nervous System. Overview of technical and applied aspects of imaging techniques available for studying the nervous system. The areas emphasized are cellular and subcellular imaging of neural function, systems-level imaging of brain function, and imaging of the human brain.

NEUROBIO 240 Advanced Analysis of Learning and Memory. Advanced analysis of contemporary research concerning the nature and neurobiological bases of learning and memory. Special emphasis is given to time-dependent processes involved in memory storage.

 

 

UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

PSYCH 160A Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience. Introduction to the neural basis of human perceptual, motor, and cognitive abilities. Topics include sensory perception, motor control, memory, language, attention, emotion, frontal lobe function, functional brain imaging, and neuropsychological disorders.

PSYCH 161 Language and the Brain. Analysis of current research on the biological bases of human linguistic capacity. Development, focusing on hemispheric specialization and plasticity; localization of specific linguistic functions in adults, with emphasis on study of aphasias; relation of linguistic capacity to general cognitive capacity, considering research on retardation.

PSYCH 161P Perceptual Neuroscience. Examines the physiology of cortical networks underlying human perceptual experience.

PSYCH 161V Cognitive Neuroscience of Vision. Explores the neural basis of our visual experience, including visual perception, face and object recognition, attention, and visual awareness. Emphasis placed on evidence acquired from neuroimaging, neuronal recordings, patient literature, and brain stimulation.

PSYCH 162A Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. How the brain and behavior change as a result of experience, with an emphasis on identifying the neurochemical processes through which memory is stored and the parts of the brain that are involved.

PSYCH 162B Human Memory Disorders. Focuses on models and methods of assessing human memory and its disorders. Exposure to conventional and new assessment devices provided.

PSYCH 163A Genetics of Sensory and Cognitive Processes. Introduction to genetic bases of sensory and cognitive functions. Mutations affecting vision, hearing, learning, and memory in animal model systems. General and specific cognitive abilities and failures in humans.

BIO SCI 35 The Brain and Behavior. Introduction to how the brain works. Biological processes underlying perception, movement, sleep-wake cycles, motivation, language, learning, and memory. Changes in the brain associated with sex differences, drug use, aging, seasons, and time of day. Fundamental properties of the nervous system.

BIO SCI 37 Brain Dysfunction and Repair. Introduction to the disruptions in brain function that underlie disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinsonism, schizophrenia, and depression, and the basis for drug therapies. The brain's ability to repair itself after damage and the pros and cons of that repair.

BIO SCI 38 Mind, Memory, Amnesia, and the Brain. Introduction to neural mechanisms underlying learning and memory. Emphasis on molecular changes that mediate memory as well as structures involved in different forms of memory.