Course summary

Explore the interactions between neural structures to understand how brain cells communicate and transform information to control the body. Learn about the core problems in systems neuroscience and develop your understanding of the disciplines and techniques used to address these problems. Course description It’s widely recognised by modern neuroscience that taking a systems approach to exploring the brain is vital to understanding brain function. Systems neuroscience focuses on the interactions between neural structures in networks that influence sensori-motor control and information processing. It’s these interactions that provide us with a foundation for understanding the relationship between brain structure and brain function that underpins behaviour. This 12-month course is designed to provide you with in-depth training into the core problems in systems neuroscience, and will develop your understanding of the disciplines and techniques used to address these problems such as computer simulation modelling, data visualisation and neuroanatomy. Over three months you'll work on your research project in Cognitive Neuroscience with one of our world-leading experts in the Department of Psychology. Your research topic could range from theoretical to basic neuroscience. You may have the opportunity to collect and analyse real-life cognitive brain science data, using state-of-the-art equipment, before presenting your findings at our summer student-led conference. The project gives you the opportunity to put your new techniques in experimental neuroscience into practice, while exploring ideas at the cutting-edge of cognitive neuroscience. It's common for MSc research projects to form the basis of publications in peer-reviewed journals. Previous Project Titles

• Impaired neurovascular coupling in hAPP-J20 Alzheimer's mice models following electrode insertion

• Investigating the effect of 5-HT2a receptor agonist 1P-LSD on cerebral blood flow and cerebral blood oxygenation in an animal model

• Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation as a first line treatment in patients with very active relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis

• The contribution of cortical interneurons to neurovascular coupling: An optogenetic study