B.A. Moderatorship in Neuroscience
Students who wish to study neuroscience apply to the science degree (TR071) and may select neuroscience as their specialist area after the second year.
What is neuroscience?
Neuroscience is discipline concerned with the scientific study of nervous system in health and disease. It probes the intricate machinery of the nervous system in an attempt to understand how we think, move, perceive, learn and remember. Research in the neurosciences is of considerable importance in medicine, considering the debilitating and costly effects of neurological and psychiatric disease. In this regard, a major goal of modern neuroscience research is to elucidate the underlying causes, and to produce more effective treatments for major brain diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Schizophrenia and Depression.
What will you study?
Neuroscience links neurobiology with cognitive science, and as a result modules are provided by several Schools within the Faculties of Health Sciences, Science, and Social and Human Sciences. The course involves in-depth instruction in the fundamentals of modern molecular and cellular biology, as well as on the structure and operation of the nervous system.
Other modules focus on the development of the nervous system, its response to injury and disease, the relationship of the brain to behaviour, imaging the brain, and the drug treatment of brain disorders. You will also be trained in scientific methodology and experimental design, data handling and resource skills.
Junior Sophister (third) year courses include:
Introduction to Neuroscience; Neurophysiology I; Neuroanatomy; Neurochemistry I; Cellular and Molecular Physiology; Introduction to Neurogenetics; Biochemistry and Immunology; General Principles of Pharmacology; Developmental Biology; Applied Laboratory Techniques; Research Skills.
Senior Sophister (fourth) year courses include:
Neurophysiology II; Neuropharmacology; Neuroimmunology, Neuroinflammation and Experimental Neuropathology; Neurochemistry II; Neuropsychology; Neurogenetics; Journal Club.
An important part of the final year is a major research project that is carried out in one of the several neuroscience research groups located across campus, including those contributing to the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience.
Research projects are currently available in the following research areas:
- Neurobiology of Alzheimer’s disease
- Neuropharmacology of depression.
- Neurotoxicity of drugs of abuse: MDMA (“Ecstasy”) and cannabis
- Neurobiology of memory and learning
- Neurobiology of Parkinson’s disease
Assessment
Students are assessed by a combination of in-course assessment and end of year examinations.
Career opportunities
As a graduate of neuroscience, you can expect to find employment in a wide range of jobs, using your general scientific training as well as your specialist skills. You may study for a higher degree in neuroscience, biological or psychological research, and pursue a research career in an academic, government, pharmaceutical, biotechnology or medical research organisation. If you do not want a research career, the course provides transferable skills suitable for a wide variety of careers in teaching, business, management and industry. Some graduates also go on to take professional degrees in medicine or allied health related sciences.
Course coordinators
Junior Sophister (3rd year) Neuroscience: Dr. Daniel Ulrich, (ulrichd@tcd.ie)
Senior Sophister (4th year) Neuroscience: Dr. Gavin Davey, (gdavey@tcd.ie)
* This course is funded by the Irish government under the National Development Plan 2007-2013 and aided by the European Social Fund (ESF) under the Human Capital Investment Operational Programme 2007-2013.
