The Department of Cell and Neurobiology provides interdisciplinary training in the molecular, cellular developmental and systems biology that underlies normal function and disease in humans.

Professional and intellectual development is fostered through a broadly based curriculum from which students can choose areas of specialization as well as through extensive faculty interactions. On-going faculty research programs explore basic mechanisms in molecular and cellular neurobiology, neurogenetics, endocrinology, pharmacology, embryogenesis, cell biology, vertebrate evolution, and nutrition/drug interactions. Disease-oriented research, bridging basic and clinical disciplines, investigates inherited or acquired disorders in neurodegenerative disorders, seizure disorders, mechanism of tumor growths, congenital heart defects, behavior and substance abuse interaction, and disorders of the visual system.

Graduate education is designed to prepare the student for a lifetime of learning, exploring the limits of research, teaching and creative activities.