Progress in understanding the nervous system will be enhanced by training scientists with a broad interdisciplinary background including a combination of experimental and computational approaches to the study of the nervous system. To this end we have established at Boston University an independent and interdisciplinary Neuroscience training program that emphasizes this combination of approaches and complements specialized neuroscience training in already existing departmental programs. The Neuroscience Program will be administered by a Steering Committee, who will select the candidates, assign advisors, monitor their progress throughout the pursuit of the degree, and consider the addition of new faculty to the program. The faculty participating in the program is very broad and strong. Departments contributing to the program include Anthropology, Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Cognitive & Neural Systems, Health Sciences, Mathematics, Pharmacology, Physiology, and Psychology. We have instituted five main new training activities: (1) a series of core lecture courses in both experimental and computational neuroscience, (2) a series of core methods courses involving both approaches, (3) a combined computational-experimental lab rotation, (4) an interdisciplinary graduate seminar series, and (5) an annual Neuroscience retreat. As the students focus on their thesis research within a specific discipline, elective courses and other activities are aimed at continuing interdisciplinary exposure throughout their training. The structure of the program will catalyze interactions among neuroscience faculty and students in the various departments at Boston University, fully exploiting the broad range and substantial depth of facilities and resources available at this institution.
