The Neuroscience division at Cardiff University pursues a broad range of neurobiological research, spanning from the molecular to the behavioural levels.
Research areas include:
- neuronal development
- molecular and cellular neuroscience
- neurophysiology
- synaptic plasticity, learning and memory, and
- neurodegeneration and the ageing nervous system.
We strive to integrate our research to provide a better understanding of the function of the healthy nervous system and the mechanisms leading to neurological disease states. A primary objective is to translate our knowledge into pharmacological and cell based therapies and improved clinical practice.
The Division is a member of the Cardiff Neuroscience Centre (CNC), which brings together research in neuroscience, psychology and psychiatric genetics and genomics. The Neuroscience Division also hosts the experimental MRI centre (EMRIC) and Brain Repair Group, and is a major participant in the Wellcome Trust 4 year PhD programme in Integrative Neuroscience.
Distinctive features
- Member of the Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute (NMH RI), bringing together researchers based in the School of Biosciences, School of Medicine and School of Psychology.
- Brain Repair Group.
- Experimental MRI Centre (EMRIC).
The spectrum of research activities include:
- neural differentiation of human and mouse stem cells
- gene regulation in response to physiological stimuli
- cellular and neuronal network mechanisms of sleep
- mood stabilizers and the cellular basis of bipolar mood disorder
- advanced optical techniques for imaging dendritic spines and calcium dynamics
- ghrelin and the regulation of neuroendocrine processes
- functional differentiation of adult peripheral sensory neurons
- intracellular signalling in learning and memory
- mechanisms of neuronal plasticity in the cerebral cortex
- neuro-imaging of plasticity and sensory processing
- plasticity in the developing visual system
- molecular, cellular and neural processes of long-term and emotional memory
- cellular, genetic and neuronal network mechanisms of epilepsy
- ageing in the autonomic nervous system
- cell based therapies for Huntington’s and Parkinson’s disease
- cellular and molecular mechansims of memory dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders
- developing iPSC-derived neurons as a cell therapy for neuropsychiatric diseases
- BDNF as a therapeutic target in mental disorders
- pathophysiology of Autism.
For details of ongoing projects and collaborations, please visit the web pages of individual Neuroscience Division members.
Projects
We currently have a range of projects available to apply for within the School of Biosciences, some of which are offered as part of our range of DTP involvements.
https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/programmes/area/neuroscience
Course Website
( https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/programmes/area/neuroscience )
