Students in the Neuroscience Majors are trained to develop an appreciation for the breadth of knowledge that spans the array of neuroscience disciplines, including molecular, cellular, systems, behavioral, cognitive, and computational neuroscience.
At the completion of their studies, students are prepared with a sufficient depth of knowledge and abilities to prepare them for entry-level employment in a wide variety of fields, or for graduate study in neuroscience or health-related professions.
Undergraduate
Students will acquire knowledge in the humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and physical sciences, and taught to appreciate the relevance of these disciplines to the life sciences.
Research
More than 90 USC Neuroscience faculty conduct externally funded research programs in areas ranging from the molecules that determine neuronal function to the principles of human cognition and emotion. Please visit: https://dornsife.usc.edu/usc-neuroscience/research/
Graduate
Congratulations to our USC Undergraduate Neuroscience Program End of the Year Award Recipients of 2023!
BRIAN PHILLIP RAKUSIN NEUROSCIENCE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD WINNER 2023
Lisa Tchitchkan is a junior double-majoring in neuroscience and Spanish. She has been a member of Dr. Dion Dickman’s lab for over two years, where her project focuses on the application of superresolution STED microscopy to characterizing protein interactions within the presynaptic terminal, both under wild type and mutant conditions. Apart from school and research, she enjoys volunteering through USC Interaxon, Spanglish, and Trojan Health Interpretation Services. In her free time, Lisa can always be found outside — whether that be running, playing tennis, surfing, or hiking.
Lisa is truly honored to have been selected as this year’s recipient of the Brian Phillip Rakusin Scholarship Award. She is especially thankful for the support of Dr. Dickman and the wonderful research team she has the privilege of working with.
Neuroscience Outstanding Student of the Year Award
Arun is a junior majoring in Neuroscience. In Dr. Kanoski’s lab, Arun has been investigating how the brain is negatively impacted by dietary and metabolic factors. Specifically, consumption of Western diets (high in saturated fats and sugars) produces deficits in learning and memory He plans to attend medical school and pursue surgery. In his free time, he loves to be outside playing soccer, mountain biking, and surfing.
Special thanks to Anna Hayes, Logan Tierno Lauer, Alicia Kao, Molly Klug, Linda Tsan, Keshav Subramanian, Jessica Rea, Kristen Donohue, Lea Decarie-Spain, Scott Kanoski, and the rest of the team for their assistance. Arun is very grateful for receiving this award and hopes that this research can someday be used to inform decisions on healthy living.
Neuroscience, Computational Neuroscience and Minor in Neuroscience
The curriculum is structured to also develop the ability to communicate scientific ideas, orally and in writing, as well as scientific and experimental skills. These include the application of scientific methods, including forming hypotheses, designing experiments to test hypotheses, and collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and reporting data.
Contact Us
Dornsife Undergraduate Neuroscience Program Executive Committee
Professor David McKemy
Professor John Monterosso
Professor Andrew Hires
Professor Jonas Kaplan