Neuroscience MRes

Neuroscience degrees at Nottingham seek to answer the modern day problems that faces research into the brain and nervous system.

Research overview

These programmes consist of a combination of research skills training provided by academics at the forefront of their research.

Our students enjoy expert supervision, extensive training, leading-edge facilities, strong industrial and links with major pharma companies. MRes students are able to undertake short industrial placements. The school encourages students to present their own original research as abstracts and oral and/or poster communications within the school and at national and international scientific meetings.

Students will have access to a superb range of methodologies, ranging from molecular to whole animal and human studies to investigate:

• Animal Models of Mental Disease: early environmental influences on brain neurochemistry and function in relation to mental disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD, schizophrenia and depression, particularly the role of amine, amino acid and neuropeptide neurotransmission; neurogenesis during depression.
• Drugs of Abuse: mechanisms of reward and aversive behaviour, with particular reference to cannabinoids. Neurotoxicity and metabolites of ecstasy (MDMA).
• Pain Mechanisms: the roles of GABA, vanilloid and cannabinoid receptor systems in models of chronic pain.
• Neurodegeneration and Neurotoxicity: molecular mechanisms underlying chronic human neurodegenerative disorders, particularly the role of the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway; mechanisms of reactive metabolite generation in drug toxicity and validation of alternative methods; neurovascular damage mechanisms; embryotoxicity.
• Hypothalamic Control of Puberty and Body Weight: the hypothalamic basis of energy metabolism; mechanisms involved in male reproductive maturation.
• Molecular action of neurotoxins: role of astrocytes in maintaining neuronal and vascular function and their involvement in the vulnerability and resistance to natural and chemically-mediated neurodegeneration; effects of hypoglycaemia on brain function.