School of Life Sciences

Overview

Neuroscience at Keele is a contemporary and multidisciplinary course covering the structure and function of the nervous system, the action of drugs, and the molecular biology of neurological diseases and disorders. Modern neuroscience is not an isolated speciality, instead it integrates information from biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, psychology and psychiatry to address the normal and abnormal functioning of the nervous system. The course therefore offers a balance between molecular and cellular aspects of the subject and systems and clinical neuroscience.

• A fascinating subject at the cutting edge of biomedical research
• Teaching led by experts in the field
• Combine the course with another area of study such as Psychology, Biochemistry or Forensics
• Participate in multidisciplinary research in a leading laboratory
• Opportunity to specialise in Neuroscience in final year (major route)

Course Content

‌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 greater depth the principles of neuroscience, and especially synapses and neural communication, taking examples from both sensory and motor systems and examining them from the level of single cells to neuronal networks. The picture on the right shows the part of a rodent brain (the barrel cortex) that deals with sensory input from the whiskers. 

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.

Current topics in Neuroscience features an in-depth study of recent research papers in Neuroscience and how they have contributed to the field.

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.

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, Australia or Europe.

Images:

Top - Genetically modified larva from the mosquito Anopheles gambiae expressing enhanced cyan fluorescent protein in the nervous system, including eyes, optic nerves, brain and ventral ganglia. Photograph courtesy of Paul Eggleston at Keele University.

Middle - A neural graft in the brain and how it can be tested.

Bottom - Hair cells in the cochlea filled with a calcium-sensitive fluorescent dye and viewed from above.

Codes and Combinations

All students who study a science subject are candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Science (with Honours) (BSc Hons).

Dual Honours Course can be combined with:

 * subject to approval

Major and Foundation course available:

Teaching and Assessment

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.

Programme specifications (new window)

Skills and Careers

The neuroscience course at Keele has been designed specifically to take students with a genuine interest in the field, to foster this interest and to give them the skills to continue learning post-graduation. The Keele neuroscience course provides students with a foundation from which they can make their own contribution to the field. By the end of the course students will be well equipped to pursue further research opportunities either through postgraduate pathways such as a Masters or Doctorate degree course, or via research careers in private sectors. Students will also develop skills applicable to a wide range of careers: they will learn to take a scientific and analytical approach to problem solving, to organise and plan, to analyse data, to prepare written and verbal reports, and to present clearly and concisely. Students will also learn manipulative skills necessary for laboratory work.

Here are some of the career paths and goals of Keele’s Neuroscience graduates:

• MSc in Mental Health Studies, aiming to become a clinical neurologist. Judith Fosbraey
• Working in industry designing drugs for neurobiological diseases. Sonali Devani
• Postgraduate entry to medicine
• MSc in Genetic Counselling
• PGCE in Science with a Biology specialism. Victoria Allin
• PhD in Neurology. Charli Wicks
• Beginning a career in economics. Joseph Luke
• MSc followed by a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience. James Randle
• MSc in Biomedical Blood Science, aiming to contribute to diabetes research. Gaby Quinn
• MSc in Applied Biomedical Technology, aiming to work within the pharmaceuticals industry. Tamara Raffan
• Trainee Clinical Technologist.

Image:

Victoria Allin who helped design these web pages

Visit our Careers pages (new window)

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.

A great way to judge a course is by the results and opinions of those who have completed it. Here's the inside scoop from students who were asked their opinion on the course:

            ‘Love: Keele, Love: Neuroscience’

“I really liked Neurobiology of brain disease, and the opportunity to work with real human brains at the medical school was really good. Overall the course was interesting and challenging.” Judith Fosbraey

“In a nutshell it was what I expected: challenging, rewarding and a valuable academic experience. Practical classes were a fun way to learn key analytical techniques that are essential to neuroscience. Individual study projects proposed a challenge which required high levels of organisation and a great feeling on completion!”

“The labs were fun and I learnt a lot from them. I am really pleased with the course as a whole and the lecturers were always approachable and helpful” Robert Guardia

“The dissection project was fantastic and I really enjoyed it and the guest lecturers helped with adding addition background and context to the course.” Gaby Quinn

“I loved the third year neurobiology of brain disease modules and the first year genetics module, but you need to be able to time manage, especially in third year!”

“The course provides a good basis upon which one could build on in further education. The course covered a lot of general biology along with neuroscience, enabling students to venture into other areas/future degrees”

“An interesting course and the lab work was fun although sometimes a bit challenging. Neuroscientists/School of Life Sciences are friendly and always made you feel it was OK if you didn’t understand something and would offer help.” Charli Wicks

 “It was excellent. Over the three years there have been some hard modules as well as some easier ones, but they have all been interesting with hard but fair assessments. I have enjoyed all aspects of the Neuroscience course.” A. R.

Dr Mike Evans

Current Research: Investigating the role of the outer hair cells as a cochlear amplifier and the influence of the cholinergic efferent pathway.

Dr Dave Furness

Current Research: Investigating the role of fibrocytes, cells associated with homeostatic mechanisms regulating the composition of cochlear fluids.

Dr Chris Exley

Current Research: Investigating the ways in which aluminium impacts on life on earth and ways in which it can be removed from the human system. Further information: http://www.keele.ac.uk/aluminium/

Dr Dave Mazzocchi-Jones

Current Research: Carrying out research focusing on the role of the Basal Ganglia (BG) in a range of distinct pathologies and environmental manipulations. Also investigating striatal grafts and basal ganglia development.

Dr Stas Glazewski

Current Research: We still do not know precisely how the brain acquires, stores and recalls information. It may be done via changes in synaptic weights and connectivity between neurons (plastic changes). Studying changes in neuronal transmission and connectivity in intact animals during learning is quite a big task and so scientists usually study mechanisms of plastic changes using model systems, for example the barrel cortex of rodents, where whiskers are represented. The unique anatomical organisation of this cortical area enables quantitative and very accurate measurement of plastic changes induced by changes in tactile experience. My research aims to understand how experience induces neuronal plasticity in the neocortex and how this plasticity is maintained. It is communicated within the Neuroscience course in the following modules: Introduction to Neuroscience where we initially examine the somatosensory system, and then in From Neurone to Brain and Development and Evolution of Nervous System where the phenomenon of neuronal plasticity is examined in more detail. I also supervise third year experimental projects in this area, for example looking for behavioural effects of experience-dependent plasticity in animal models.