Neuroscience Graduate Program

Students working in the lab

The Department of Neuroscience graduate program offers interdisciplinary biomedical research training leading to Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degrees. Reflecting the nature of contemporary neuroscience, our interdisciplinary graduate program contains faculty from basic and clinical departments. Program mentors are drawn from the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute and the adjacent National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health/Centers for Disease Control providing training opportunities in basic, clinical and translational science. This environment affords our faculty and students prime access to the state-of-the-art resources needed to conduct world-class neuroscience research.

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Facilities

Lab benches

As one of the seven biomedical Ph.D. programs at the WVU Health Sciences Center, and under the umbrella of WVU’s Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, students have access to more than 50 laboratories and state-of-the-art equipment.   

Research

Graduate student and faculty member working in the lab

The program emphasizes research on the function and dysfunction of the brain and nervous system, providing students with innovative approaches to understanding neural mechanisms responsible for diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and brain injury and repair. In addition, students will gain fundamental understanding of cellular and molecular neurobiology, motor and sensory systems, neural processing, behavior and neural development.

Our five primary research topics include, but aren’t limited to, the following areas:

Of course, faculty also serve as mentors to ensure student success, not only in research, but also in achieving their overall career goals. Mentors this year include:

A photo of Bernard Schreurs.
Bernard G Schreurs, PhD
West Virginia University
Positions
Professor; Director, West Virginia Alzheimer's Disease Registry, Department of Neuroscience
Professor, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (SOM)
Director, West Virginia Alzheimer's Disease Registry, Physiology, Pharmacology & Toxicology
Phone
304-293-0497
A photo of Candice Brown.
Candice M. Brown, PhD
West Virginia University
Positions
Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Adjunct Associate Professor, Microbiology, Immunology & Cell Biology
Associate Professor, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (SOM)
Phone
304-293-0589
A photo of Martin Hruska.
Martin Hruska, PhD
West Virginia University
Positions
Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Assistant Professor, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (SOM)
Phone
304-293-2457
A photo of Paul Lockman.
Paul Lockman, PhD, BSN
West Virginia University
Positions
Professor, Benedum Fellow and the Mylan Endowed Chair, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Senior Associate Dean for Research and Strategic Initiatives, School of Pharmacy, Office of the Dean
Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Member, WVU Cancer Institute Research Programs
Professor, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (SOM)
Phone
304-293-0944
A photo of David Smith.
David M Smith, PhD
West Virginia University
Positions
Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine
Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Member, WVU Cancer Institute Research Programs
Professor, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (SOM)
Phone
304-293-9521
A photo of Maxim Sokolov.
Maxim Sokolov, PhD
West Virginia University
Positions
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine
Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Professor, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (SOM)
Phone
304-293-1123
A photo of Edwin Wan.
Edwin Wan, PhD
West Virginia University
Positions
Associate Professor, Microbiology, Immunology & Cell Biology
Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Associate Professor, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (SOM)
Phone
304-293-6293

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Current Student Resources

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