The California Institute of Technology
Division of Biology/Graduate Study in Neuroscience

Contact:

David Anderson
California Institute of Technology
Division of Biology, 156-29
1200 E. California Blvd.
Pasadena CA 91125

Phone:  (626) 395-4497
Fax:  (626) 449-0679

E-Mail:  ayalae@caltec.edu
WWW:  http://www.pcmp.caltech.edu/molecula/

Program Established:  1933

Number of Faculty:  20
Number of Students:  37

Number of Graduates in the Last Five Years:  21
Average Number of Years to Complete the Program:  6.0

Program Description: Neuroscience research in Caltech's Division of Biology falls into two broad areas: molecular and cellular neuroscience, and integrative neuroscience (the study of the electrophysiology and anatomy of higher functions, such as vision and olfaction). The strength of neuroscience research at Caltech is not limited to one subdiscipline of neurobiology, but is shared among all the subdisciplines.

Areas of current research in these laboratories include:

1. identification and characterization of receptors, ion channels, and other molecules important for neurotransmission and electrical excitability, and structure-function studies of normal and mutated proteins in the nervous system
2. analysis of how neurons send and receive chemical and electrical signals in communicating with other cells, and the plasticity of these responses in learning and memory
3. study of how the enormous diversity of neuronal phenotypes is achieved during embryogenesis and how neurons recognize each other in forming the wiring diagram of the brain
4. investigation of how specific ensembles of neurons integrate sensory information from the organism's environment and how this information is converted into the characteristic behavior of the intact organism.

Students interested in graduate study in neuroscience apply for admission to Caltech's Division of Biology, then choose the integrative neurobiology or the cellular/molecular/developmental neurobiology track at the end of their first year. Laboratory rotations in the first year of graduate study, tailored to suit individual needs, give students the opportunity to explore several research groups before choosing a specialization and settling into their thesis research. Students specializing in neuroscience pursue a limited program of course work covering a broad range of topics in this area during their first two years of the graduate program. The main emphasis of the Division of Biology is active training in research; students are encouraged to spend at least half of their time each term working on a research project.

Admission Requirements:

• Mathematics through calculus; at least one year of college physics, chemistry (including organic and physical chemistry) and elementary biology
• GRE general test scores
• Three letters of recommendation
• TOEFL scores for applicants for whom English is not their first language

Deadline: January 1 for entrance the following September.

How and Where to Apply:  Applications should be requested from:

Dean of Graduate Studies
California Institute of Technology
02-31
Pasadena, CA 91125

Annual Tuition and Fees Costs:  Students admitted to graduate study are provided with financial support adequate to meet their normal expenses. They receive a full tuition grant and a stipend as well as health insurance and funds for research expenses and travel to scientific meetings. University housing is available to all entering graduate students.

Approximate Cost of Living:  See above.

Housing Availability and Costs Per Year:  University housing and off-campus housing in the immediate area are readily available.

Day-Care Facilities Available and Costs Per Month:  Private day-care facilities are available in the Pasadena area with costs that vary according to the facility.

Stipend/Assistantships and Financial Assistance:  All graduate students receive a stipend that increases each year. $18,900 for 2000-01 academic year.

Last revised April 2006
http://www.andp.org/programs/graduate/unitedstates/california/citneuro.htm

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