A walk outside in Minnesota offers many opportunities for reflection: Why does a mosquito bite itch? Will I have a better aim the next time I swat at one? Why does the wind sting my face when the temperature is below zero? How does my brain process that the bird that just flew overhead was an eagle? Are there therapies that can stop or reverse the devastating effect of Alzheimer's Disease so I'll remember my way back home when I'm 80? How did my brain develop so I can perceive all these sensations, move, and think about this stuff? These questions and more are explored by graduate students in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota. Our goal is to recruit inquisitive, creative and highly motivated students who want to earn a Ph.D. while examining how the brain and nervous system work. We recruit students who have succeeded both in the classroom and in the laboratory. In general, students enter our program with a variety of undergraduate degrees, including biology, neuroscience, psychology, biochemistry, engineering, physics and computer science.

I would like to mention five strengths of our graduate program. First, our program begins with a unique and exciting 5-week laboratory course at the Lake Itasca Biological Station at the headwaters of the Mississippi in northern Minnesota . In addition to providing the opportunity to build friendships that last a lifetime, the course serves as a hands-on introduction to modern neuroscience techniques: studies of ion channels using patch-clamping techniques, screening DNA libraries for evidence of specific gene expression, and watching synapse formation, for example. Second, we provide a rigorous, comprehensive core curriculum covering all major areas of neurobiology: molecular, developmental, systems, and behavioral neuroscience. We believe that a solid background in the fundamentals of neuroscience is essential preparation for scientific discovery. Third, our program takes a multidisciplinary approach to training students in neuroscience. We have a diverse and highly productive faculty who conduct well-funded research that covers the spectrum of neuroscience from the molecular biology of ion channels to the highly complex processes that underlie human cognition. Students are kept up-to-date by our weekly colloquium series, which features the diverse research of our students and faculty. Fourth, we have an open and collaborative research culture. The advantage to our students and faculty is that the expertise needed to answer questions at the fore front of our fields is easily accessible and could be right next door! Fifth, our graduate program is part of a large public university in a major metropolitan area. The University of Minnesota ranks among the nation's top public research universities with excellent programs in humanities, engineering, and physical, agricultural and biomedical sciences. The twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and surrounding area offer a rich diversity of cultural activities, entertainment, sports and natural environment. As a result, the academic and cultural opportunities here are truly outstanding.

I believe that our program has been successful by creating a training environment that is based on the strengths of our faculty who prepare students for the myriad of professional opportunities available to individuals with a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. Our graduates have secured tenure-track faculty positions at research universities, top undergraduate colleges and other teaching institutions, and as researchers and leaders in research institutions, pharmaceutical firms and in biotech companies.

If you are highly motivated for a career in neuroscience and are committed to the challenges of a Ph.D. program, I encourage you to explore our website to learn more about Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota .

Virginia S. Seybold, Ph.D.