Behavioral Neuroscience: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Behavioral neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to understanding how biological systems—particularly the brain and nervous system—govern behavior and mental processes. This program integrates principles from biology, psychology, and chemistry to explore the neural mechanisms underlying cognition, emotion, and action, with applications in both research and clinical contexts.

• Functional neuroanatomy: Examines the structural organization of the brain and its relationship to specific behavioral and cognitive functions.
• Neural system development: Investigates how neural circuits form and mature during early life and throughout the lifespan.
• Biochemical neural regulatory mechanisms: Studies the role of neurotransmitters, hormones, and signaling molecules in modulating brain activity and behavior.
• Neurological biophysics: Applies physical and mathematical principles to understand electrical and mechanical processes within neurons and neural networks.
• Memory storage and retrieval: Explores the biological substrates of learning and memory, including synaptic plasticity and neural circuit dynamics.
• Physiology of cognition and perception: Analyzes how neural activity supports processes like attention, decision-making, and sensory interpretation.
• Physiological bases of psychopathology and behavioral disorders: Focuses on identifying biological underpinnings of conditions such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia.
• Psychopharmacology: Studies how drugs affect brain function and behavior, with implications for treating mental health and neurological disorders.
• Comparative psychobiology: Compares neural and behavioral systems across species to uncover evolutionary principles of brain function.
• Molecular and cellular neuroscience: Delves into the genetic, biochemical, and cellular processes that govern neuron development, function, and communication.
• Brain science: Encompasses the comprehensive study of brain structure, function, and dynamics using advanced imaging and analytical techniques.
• Anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system: Provides foundational knowledge of spinal cord and brain organization, neural pathways, and functional systems.
• Specialized experimental design and research methods: Equips students with rigorous, evidence-based approaches for conducting neuroscientific inquiry, including data analysis and ethical research practices.