School of Life Sciences

• A fascinating subject at the cutting edge of biomedical research
• Relevant to medicine and industry
• Participation in multidisciplinary research
• An interdisciplinary study of the brain and nervous system

Neuroscience is the study of the most intricate control system in the body: the nervous system. Our nervous system gives us the ability to sense the environment and to react to it. Ultimately all human behaviour, whether conscious or unconscious, stems from the processes occurring in the complicated networks of nerve cells that form our brain and spinal cord.

The Neuroscience course at Keele is designed to equip you with a broad-based understanding of the principles of neuroscience and is taught by tutors who are active researchers. Students will learn about the structure and function of the nervous system, the action of drugs, and the molecular biology of neurological diseases or disorders.

The course includes practical classes that provide first-hand experience of neuroscience, anatomy and physiology. You will also carry out a research-based project, supervised individually by one of the course tutors and making use of the excellent research and library facilities available.

We have many contacts with local hospitals and with Keele’s School of Medicine, which provide an opportunity for students to link their studies through to health and medicine.

First year
You take core modules that provide the basic background needed for the subsequent years.

Introduction to Neuroscience covers key concepts of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology and includes the basis of sensory and motor systems.

In Human Physiology and Pathology you learn about the other major systems of the body and how specific diseases and abnormalities can impair function.

Cell and Molecular Neuroscience examines the molecules and structures behind biological and neural function in more detail.

Genetics and Evolution deals with the fundamentals of inheritance and evolution.

Second year

From Neurone to Brain builds on the first-year modules by covering in depth the principles and techniques of neuroscience, from single cells to neuronal networks.

Development and Evolution of Nervous Systems takes you through the embryonic development of the vertebrate nervous system and how the brain has evolved.

The Research and Analytical Skills module provides you with key skills such as the use of databases and statistical tools in research.

In Human and Animal Cognition we describe a range of adaptations that underlie behaviour. We begin by studying how animals learn, think and communicate, and later compare these with human abilities.

Third year
The modules feature to a greater extent current research in Neuroscience.

In Neurobiological Basis of Brain Disease, you study disorders and diseases of the nervous system, and evaluate current research into potential mechanisms of dysfunction.

Behavioural Neurobiology provides a detailed study into the neurological mechanisms underpinning complex behavioural functions, such as learning, memory, and executive function.

Neurobiology of Vision and Hearing provides an in-depth look at the anatomy and physiology of visual and auditory sensory systems.

In Regeneration and Repair in the Nervous System you study how the nervous system regenerates following injury, and study cutting edge research in neurotransplantation across a range of neurological disorders.

You will also do a research project or dissertation, chosen from a wide range of topics, offering a practical insight into current neuroscience research.

Major Route

In the final year, students will be able to specialise in Neuroscience. In addition to the modules mentioned above, they will also be able to do a more in-depth experimental project couples with a module on new and emerging research in Neuroscience.

Four-Year Courses

Science Foundation Year and Sandwich Course

It is possible to add a fourth year to the course in order to tailor it to suit individual needs. There are essentially two ways in which this can be done:

• add a Science Foundation Year prior to the start of the course
• take a Sandwich Course, by including an industrial placement after the second year

Only one of these options can be selected.

Sandwich Course
We offer BSc students the opportunity to undertake a 48-week placement at the end of their second year, in an approved government or industrial establishment or field centre. This placement year can provide not only practical skills training, but also valuable transferable skills and time for personal development. The experience you will gain may prove particularly beneficial when you return to University and in the early stages of your career. While we will attempt to find suitable placements, this cannot be guaranteed and students will be encouraged to make their own contacts, which we will need to check. Students will be required to reach defined standards in their second-year assessments to become eligible for the sandwich year. Those not reaching this standard, or not able to find a suitable placement, will remain on the three-year course.

Alternatively, students can spend the sandwich year at one of our European partner laboratories under the ERASMUS work placement scheme.

Study Abroad

Students can also opt to spend a semester in their second year at one of our partner universities in North America or Australia.

Dual Honours Course can be combined with:

Foundation course available:

The course is taught by a combination of lectures, laboratory classes, tutorials and seminars with interactive computer-aided learning to provide additional back-up to the more formal group teaching. Students will be assessed by a combination of essays, practical work, continuous assessment and examinations.

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The Neuroscience course has been developed to promote student interest in the subject and to provide practical knowledge and skills to complement conceptual learning. By the end of the course students will be well equipped to puruse further research opportunities either via postgraduate pathways (eg PhD) or via research careers in the private and academic sector. As well as learning about the fundamentals of Neuroscience and developing your interest in this fascinating field, students will acquire a whole range of skills that will be useful in any career. These include: organisational skills in collecting and organising information from many different sources; planning skills; the ability to present information clearly and coherently, both in written reports and giving talks; manipulative skills in carrying out delicate practical work; and numerical skills in the handling of data. Students will also develop a scientific and analytical approach to solving problems that can be applied in many different situations, and will be of great value to an employer.

The most popular science subject combinations with Neuroscience are Psychology, Biochemistry and Computer Science. These combinations offer opportunities for careers in, for example, medically related psychology, the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, or in IT, and many students develop interests that lead to a higher degree and a career in research. However, non-science combinations with Neuroscience also offer a wide range of opportunities e.g. combining with Finance or Economics puts you in a unique position for a career in the modern Health Service as it would underpin both the business and the scientific side of health management and administration.

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Neuroscience and Psychology

Not surprisingly, a combination between Neuroscience and Psychology Principal subjects is almost an ideal one and consequently it is extremely popular. If this combination is chosen students will gain an understanding of the anatomical and physiological basis of human behaviour. They will learn the modern science of genetics, which in turn defines the limits within which the human body and brain develop. The way in which individual nerve cells work to produce emergent properties of perception, learning and consciousness itself will throw a completely different light on Psychology from that of the Social Sciences, but in a way that is entirely complementary. This combination of Principal subjects offers the opportunity of gaining a fuller understanding of the human condition than could be obtained from either subject studied alone.

Neuroscience and Criminology

This is a combination that could be considered an unusual if highly enlightened one! In Neuroscience students will study the workings of the brain, consciousness and the basis of all human behaviour. You will also learn about a range of neurological illnesses that have a bearing on behaviour. Criminology is concerned with particular aspects of human behaviour in considering lawbreakers and their motivations, as well as the response of society to them, for example policies in criminal justice such as policing, prosecution and punishment. Whilst these two seem to be disparate subjects, the combination is in line with the Keele Dual Honours ethos and will give you a broad understanding of human activities from more than one angle. It will provide a unique perspective that students can bring to future careers, whichever path is taken.

Neuroscience and Computer Science

This combination would allow students to integrate two valuable and complementary subjects. Neuroscience is a science subject that relies in many ways on computer science and technology. With this combination students would be uniquely placed at the interface between the brain and the computer, and indeed the brain is often likened to a computer. Computers are at the heart of neuroscience research, but they are also important in the modern health service and in most walks of life. This combination would work well in research and in the public and private health care and science sectors.

One of our Year 2 students obtained a summer bursary from Action on Hearing Loss and she presented her project to the Physiological Society in her final year.