Graduate Programs

Overview

The Department of Neurosciences at The University of Toledo is growing — thanks to an exciting affiliation between the College of Medicine and Life Sciences and ProMedica, a local, nonprofit health-care system. 

This partnership has allowed us to: 

• Strengthen our research mission 
• Provide more resources for our students 
• Increase funded labs and faculty to mentor students 

Our goal is to integrate molecular, cellular and systems neuroscience to uncover nervous system function, how it goes awry and develop treatments for diseases of the nervous system. 

The Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders doctoral program offers an interdisciplinary course of studies. We train Ph.D. students for independent, creative careers in biomedical research and teaching.   

Top Reasons to Study neurosciences and neurological disorders at UToledo

1. Exceptional faculty and resources.

   Nationally recognized, National Institutes of Health-funded faculty members serve as research mentors. Our faculty members come from myriad UToledo departments, including Neurosciences, Neurology, Physiology and Pharmacology, Psychiatry, and Radiation Therapy.  
2. Funded research.

   A number of recent UToledo doctoral students were awarded highly competitive NIH pre-doctoral fellowships for their research training. 
3. Funded travel.

   The Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program provides $1,000 to Ph.D. students to attend and present their research at national and international meetings. 
4. Dual degrees.

   UToledo offers a dual M.D./Ph.D. degree. Students typically complete the first two years of medical school, then the doctoral degree, followed by their last two years of medical school. Neuroscience doctoral students also may simultaneously pursue a J.D., M.P.H. or M.B.A. Consult with the directors of each graduate degree program for further information.  

UToledo doctoral students in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders graduate program learn from and are mentored by acclaimed faculty.  

Ph.D. students rotate through at least three labs before choosing a mentor for dissertation research.  

Current research efforts in the department focus on: 

• Development, organization and maintenance of central and peripheral components of the nervous system 
• Anatomy and function of neural circuits that control organs 
• Mechanisms of regeneration and repair 
• Synaptic biology 
• Neuronal signaling 
• Plasticity of the nervous system  
• Neuropsychiatric disorders and behavior 

All UToledo labs are equipped for modern biomedical science research. Extensive core facilities are available to students, including: 

• Advanced microscopy 
• Electrophysiology and optogenetics 
• Histology 
• Animal behavior 
• Flow cytometry 
• Metabolomics 
• Proteomics 

What jobs can I get with a neurosciences and neurological disorders degree?

100% of students who complete the program find job placement as: 

• Post-docs at academic institutions 
• Government or industrial scientists 

Graduates of UToledo’s Ph.D. program have been named post-doctoral Fellows at: 

• National Institutes of Health 
• Harvard University 
• University of Pennsylvania 
• University of Michigan 
• Duke University 
• Vanderbilt University 
• University of Oslo, Norway 
• Virginia Commonwealth University 
• Medical University of South Carolina 
• Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine 
• Huntsman Cancer Institute/University of Utah 
• Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation 
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 

Our alumni have found positions as scientists at: 

• Cerulean Pharma, Inc., Cambridge, Mass. 
• Platelet BioGenesis, Cambridge, Mass. 
• Cayman Chemical Company, Ann Arbor, Mich. 
• University of Utah