Research
NGP is an interdisciplinary training program, with over 100 faculty members from across the university. Our highly distinguished faculty conduct cutting edge basic, translational, and clinical research across a broad range of subfields in neuroscience, from the molecules that govern neuronal function to the mechanisms underlying human cognition and emotion.
The USC Neuroscience Graduate Program promotes the integration of diverse methods to understand neural functions, bridging disciplines and analytical levels. Many labs combine genetic, cellular-molecular, systems, and cognitive approaches, while also incorporating computational neuroscience techniques for analysis and modeling.
Systems & Circuits
How does the brain detect environmental stimuli, integrate various sources of information, and produce appropriate physiological and behavioral responses? Utilizing a range of both traditional and advanced techniques to manipulate and measure cellular activity, NGP faculty and students are exploring how neural systems encode sensory information, form memories, deal with stress, regulate metabolism and physiological adaptations, and execute complex motor behaviors. Equally important, NGP faculty and students are working to uncover how these processes are affected by genetic factors, experience, diet, and other conditions that impact neural function.
Cellular & Molecular
How do the individual elements of the neuron—such as receptors, neurotransmitters, ion channels, and intracellular second messengers, transcriptional factors—contribute to the overall functioning of the nervous system? NGP faculty and students are actively exploring how these microscopic components regulate a wide range of cellular processes, how connections develop between neurons, how intracellular signaling and synaptic communication are influenced by the activity of the cells, as well as the processes that give rise to atypical intracellular signaling or synaptic communication that underlie various neurological conditions.
Computational & Neuroimaging
Research in Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience at USC has the overall goal of investigating the function and structural organization of neural circuits during development and in adults.
NGP Training faculty members are heavily engaged in research in Computational Neuroscience and Neural Engineering. There a strong emphasis on computer-based and other advanced technologies to study information processing functions of the brain.
