UAM Cajal PhD Program in Neuroscience

Neuroscience seeks to understand how nervous systems are organized to generate skilled movement, perception, cognition and emotion, and how these systems react to disease or therapeutic interventions. Born at the crossroads between cellular and systems biology, computer science, neurology and psychology, Neuroscience is today a thriving, multidisciplinary and rapidly advancing field.

The UAM Cajal PhD Program in Neuroscience is a 3-5 yr. training cycle in professional scientific research. Established in 1992, this Program has trained over 200 students, who now work in Universities, Research Institutes, Hospitals or in the Biomedical Industry, in Spain and abroad. The Program is run by the UAM Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience. Researchers from the Cajal Institute of the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) and from Alcalá de Henares University are also affiliated to this Program. The Program is a member of the European Network of Neuroscience Schools and participates in the training activities of the European Federation of Neuroscience Societies.

The PhD thesis Project is the focal point of each student work in the Program. It must aim at producing high-quality scientific findings, publishable in JCR-indexed international journals. The Project scientific content and design are the responsibility of the student and his/her Advisor, as it is the procurement of public or private funding for its development. The Program Committee supervises the progress of each project and can make recommendations for improvement. The UAM Doctorate Center (EDUAM) is in charge of the administrative procedures and of coordinating UAM Graduate Programs.

Research lines:

• Developmental Neurobiology
• Neurobiology of sensory systems
• Neural Circuits and Connectomics
• Basal ganglia, thalamus and cortex
• Cell signalling. Neurobiology of wakefulness and sleep
• Neurodegeneration and neuroprotection