Overview

The Neuroengineering Track (formerly called “Neural Interfaces”) trains students in the fields of basic and applied neuroscience and neuroengineering. This track aims to treat neural dysfunction with engineering approaches and repurpose strategies utilized by biological nervous systems to solve traditional engineering problems. Research specializations of BME faculty in this track include electrical neural interfaces and neuroprostheses; cell and chemical delivery systems for neural tissue; engineering of neural self-repair; neural plasticity; neural coding in sensory and motor systems; neural imaging; and non-traditional modes of stimulating neural tissue (e.g., focused ultrasound and magnetic stimulation)

M.S. Students

Masters students within this track complete the same fundamental courses as the Ph.D. students (see below). However, whereas Ph.D. students must take NEUSC 6040 Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience, M.S. students are given more flexibility to satisfy the Cell & Molecular Biology credits of their Life-Sciences Fundamentals requirement with any supervisory-committee approved cell/molecular biology course. Understanding of cellular/molecular neuroscience is nonetheless required for any M.S. comprehensive exams: written, oral, project presentations, and thesis defenses.

Ph.D. Students

Ph.D. studentswithin this track must complete the courses listed below, intended to provide knowledge in the major areas of the field. A student’s supervisory committee may grant exemptions to the following course requirements on a case-by-case basis, pending sufficient justification. However, these courses provide considerable assistance in preparing for the Neuroengineering written qualifying exam, which combines topics across courses; e.g., questions regarding cellular or systems neuroscience may be asked from a quantitative perspective. The written qualifying exam will draw from material covered in both required life-science fundamentals courses and all three required track fundamentals courses (excluding NERG). The exam aims to encourage students to approach their graduate education as an experience that transcends the boundaries of single courses; revisit the fundamental principles in basic and applied neuroscience; and consolidate, synthesize, and integrate this material. Students are encouraged to keep their course textbooks and use them to help prepare for the qualifying exam.

Neuroengineering Texts

Course readings also serve as a way for students to prepare for the qualifying exam, although not all core courses have assigned textbooks. The first portion of Kandel et al., Principles of Neural Science, provides an excellent text for the study of cellular neurosciences; the latter portion of this text is used for BME 6430 Systems Neuroscience.

Life-Science Fundamentals

As options in the standard guidelines for their Life-Science Fundamentals, students in this track must take the following courses to satisfy the physiology and cell/molecular biology credits of the life-science fundamental requirement.

  • BME 6000 – Systems Physiology I: Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Renal Systems
  • NEUSC 6040 – Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience

Neuroengineering Track Fundamentals

Mandated: 4 of 4 required

  • BME 6005 – Computational Neuroscience
  • BME 6430 – Systems Neuroscience
  • BME 6440 – Neural Engineering
  • BME 6470 – Neural Engineering Research Group (NERG) (2x)*
    • *Students are expected to participate in BME 6470 (NERG) even after completing their credit requirements.

Neuroengineering Advanced Electives

Biomedical Engineering

  • BME 6003 – Cellular Electrophysiology & Biophysics *
  • BME 6230 – Functional Anatomy for Engineers
  • BME 6433 – Biological Statistical Signal Processing *
  • BME 6460 – Electrophysiology and Bioelectricity *

Electrical & Computer Engineering

  • ECE 5960 – Special Topics: Neural Data Analysis & Modeling *
  • ECE 6520 – Information Theory
  • ECE 6540 – Estimation Theory

Neuroscience

  • NEUSC 6010 – Frontiers in Neuroscience (seminar)
  • NEUSC 6060 – Neuroanatomy for Biomedical Scientists *
  • NEUSC 7750 – Developmental Neurobiology

Computer Science

  • CS 6210 – Advanced Scientific Computing I
  • CS 6355 – Structured Prediction (machine learning)
  • CS 6955 – Deep Learning (advanced neural networks and applications)
  • CS 7960 – Neuromorphic Architectures (neural networks)

Mathematics

  • MATH 6070 – Mathematical Statistics
  • MATH 6440 – Advanced Dynamical Systems
  • MATH 6630 – Numerical Solutions of Partial Differential Equations
  • MATH 6740 – Bifurcation Theory
  • MATH 6770 – Mathematical Biology I
  • MATH 6780 – Mathematical Biology II
  • MATH 6790 – Case Studies in Computational Engineering and Science

Mechanical Engineering

  • ME EN 7200 – Nonlinear Controls
  • ME EN 7210 – Optimal Controls

* Recommended

 

Questions?

Questions regarding the Neuroengineering track should be directed to Dr. Richard Rabbitt (801-581-6968).

Neural Engineering Research Group (NERG)