Since 1994, the Center has been the home for a unique Ph.D program in Complex Systems and Brain Sciences. Students learn how medical imaging techniques, laboratory biology, and analytical and computational mathematics can be combined to offer powerful and unique insights into the human brain and other complex phenomena.

Our goal is to create a new breed of neuroscientist who can unite theory and experiment, computational modeling, laboratory biology, and medical imaging to be at the cutting edge of brain research. Our graduates have pursued research careers at Institutions such as Harvard, Brown, Emory, New York University, the Salk Institute, and the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego in addition to private industry such as IBM and Mathworks, and institutions such as NIH, US Air Force, NASA and NRL.

The aim of this program is to create a new kind of brain scientist who will be both biologically and mathematically literate who will bring new ways of thinking into neuroscience. The courses are research oriented and consist of a core curriculum in neuroscience (including computational and cognitive neuroscience), the mathematical concepts and tools of nonlinear dynamical systems, and computational science.

Core Courses

• Neuroscience I & II
• Introduction to Dynamical Systems
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Methods in Complex Systems (or PSY statistics course)
• Electives (minimum 5)
• Directed Independent Study
• Dissertation (minimum 12)
• Total of 80 credits, grade "B" or better