MIT is home to numerous world-class laboratories that are at the forefront of neuroscience research. These lab groups are focused on understanding nervous system function and the biological basis of brain disorders, and they engage in an abundance of interdepartmental collaborations across MIT. There are so many diverse opportunities to engage in neuroscience research at MIT that the options can be somewhat overwhelming.

With this in mind, the Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (MCN) program was developed for incoming PhD students in the departments of Biology and Brain and Cognitive Sciences looking to explore research in this multidisciplinary field. The program provides an integrated track so that students have access to neuroscience-based laboratories across the entire MIT campus regardless of their affiliation. In addition, the MCN program provides a local community to support research and training in molecular and cellular neuroscience based on student input, initiatives such as seminars and socials open for all interested student to attend and share in discussion, and elective courses to supplement the core departmental curriculums.

MCN students also have access to two major neuroscience research institutes, the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research. Innovative neuroscience research is being carried out across these areas, linking molecular and cellular fields with neuroengineering, systems neuroscience, neurodevelopment and neurochemistry. Powerful new tools and insights, many developed here at MIT, are creating a moment of extraordinary opportunity to unravel the mysteries of the brain. By employing a cross-disciplinary, multi-level approach to study the nervous system, research at MIT is breaking new ground in the search for how the brain forms and functions, and how neurological and psychiatric diseases affect these basic processes.