The Graduate Program in Neuroscience (NEUS) at Drexel University College of Medicine embraces the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience. By incorporating expertise across departments and areas of research, the program offers a broad exposure to cellular, molecular, behavioral, developmental and systems neuroscience, with a strong emphasis on disease, injury and therapeutics. Students engage in rigorous research training using multidisciplinary approaches and cutting-edge technology. Their educational experience is not limited to the bench - they benefit from extensive interactions with the faculty, participation in scientific meetings and training in the panoply of skills (writing, teaching, formulation of hypotheses, experimental design) required for independence and success in a variety of career possibilities.
Students in the program can earn an MS or PhD degree, leading to careers in academic research, teaching, pharmaceutical research, industry, government, academic administration, public policy and beyond.
Immunostaining the the developing spinal cord for neurofilament proteins reveals the distribution of axons within the spinal cord and innervating the internal organs and the muscles of the limbs. Image taken by Lyandysha Zholudeva (PhD candidate).
Research
Drexel's Neuroscience program focuses on several key areas of research, including:
Master of Science Program Requirements
The MS program offers both a master's degree with a requirement of a laboratory research project for a thesis-based degree and a non-thesis degree program in which students can earn the degree by taking additional classes and writing a literature review paper. Students who wish to continue their graduate training after the master's degree may apply to the PhD program, and their credits may be applied to the doctoral program.
- MS without thesis: 36.0 semester credits
- MS with thesis: 48.0 semester credits
PhD Program Requirements
The PhD program involves the same rigorous course work as the MS program but a more intensive research component. Graduates of the PhD program will be thoroughly prepared for a variety of career options, including the option of moving on to postdoctoral work at the world's most prestigious research institutions.
- PhD: 96.0 semester credits
Graduate Placement
Graduating Division of Biomedical Science Programs students (27 PhD, 5 MD/PhD, 11 MS) accepted teaching, industrial, residency and postdoctoral positions at:
- Absorption Systems
- Arbutus Biopharma
- Brown University
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- Columbia University
- Drexel University College of Medicine
- Fox Chase Cancer Center
- Genisphere, LLC
- Jefferson University
- John Hopkins University
- John Wayne Cancer Center (Santa Monica, CA)
- Lankenau Institute for Medical Research
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Princeton University
- Public Health Research Institute (Rutgers)
- Stanford University
- Temple University
- The Scripps Institute
- The Wistar Institute
- University of British Columbia
- University of Californiat at Irvine
- University of North Carolina
- University of North Dakota
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Pittsburgh
- Vanderbilt University
- Weill-Cornell Medical Center
News and Announcements
The platform presenters for Drexel University College of Medicine’s annual research day, called Discovery Day, discuss their research topics and tips for success. Read more.
Paralyzed patients are closer to one day breathing without a ventilator after Michael Lane, PhD, and Lyandysha Zhoudeva showed they could improve respiratory function in rodents with spinal cord injuries by successfully transplanting a special class of neural cells, called V2a interneurons. Read more.