Neuroscience PhD training has been a component of graduate student training at Wake Forest University for more than 30 years with a goal to provide students with:

  • A fundamental understanding of all levels of nervous system organization, from genetics, molecular, and cellular to systems and behavioral,
  • A skill set that includes extensive training in experimental design and interpretation, statistical and quantitative methodology, scientific presentation/communication skills and grant/fellowship-writing skills
  • Hands-on experience in state-of-the-art laboratories that carry out meaningful and significant research in all areas of modern neuroscience, and
  • A “bench to bedside” appreciation of how basic neuroscience research supports and translates into treatments for neurobehavioral pathologies.

As scientists and educators, we embrace our responsibility to train individuals capable of pioneering research into both normal development and function of the nervous system and into the underlying causes and mechanisms of neurological disease.  While the vast majority of our graduating Ph.D. students go on to research-related positions, the ability to expertly analyze and interpret data provides a foundation for success in a wide variety of academic and non-academic professions including finance, law, public policy, and education. We feel strongly that the Neuroscience program at Wake Forest provides students with a rigorous, critical thinking skillset — and that is precisely what will be required to tackle the burden on society of neurological disorders and disease.

We are proud that our program is recognized and supported by the by NIH Training Grant 1T32 NS115704 funded by the Jointly Sponsored NIH Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences.

Highlighted Training Programs

Multidisciplinary Training in the Biology of Alcohol Addiction (T32 AA007565)
Supports pre and postdoctoral trainees in the field of alcohol research.

The Neurobiology of Drug Abuse (T32 DA041349)
Trains students in the multi-disciplinary program in the neurobiology of drug abuse.

Training Program in Multisensory Processes (T32 NS073553)
Trains students in an emerging discipline, multisensory processing, that investigates how the brain integrates and segregates sensory information.