Systems Neuroscience PhD Programme

Entry requirements

We are looking for candidates with a keen interest in neuroscience, coupled with an undergraduate degree in a relevant field (for example Neuroscience, Life Sciences, Physics, Maths or Computer Science) at a minimum of upper second-class UK Bachelor’s level or overseas equivalent.

Applications for the September 2024 intake are accepted from September 2023. Sign up to receive a reminder when applications open by emailing SWC-PhDprogramme@ucl.ac.uk. To find out more about the application process, please follow the “Applications” link at the top left of this page.

Contact us

For queries about the SWC PhD Programme or the application process, please contact us at SWC-PhDprogramme@ucl.ac.uk.

Syllabi for the first year courses Systems Neuroscience and Theoretical Neuroscience, Experimental Neuroscience, and Neural Data Modelling are below.

Systems Neuroscience and Theoretical Neuroscience

Module 1 - Systems Basics

• Module Introduction All module organisers
• Introduction to Theoretical Neuroscience: from Channels to Circuits Peter Latham
• Voltage-Gated Channels Tiago Branco
• Dendritic Integration Tiago Branco
• Plasticity Troy Margrie

Module 2 - Sensory Systems

• Introduction to Sensory Systems Tom Mrsic-Flogel
• Perception as Signal Processing Maneesh Sahani
• Perception as Inference Maneesh Sahani
• Organisation of Cortical Circuits Tom Mrsic-Flogel
• Abstract Representation in Sensory Systems Neil Burgess
• Influence of Behaviour and Context on Sensory Processing Sonja Hofer

Module 3 - Social and Affective Systems

• Module Introduction John O’Keefe
• Implementation of Innate Circuits Yoh Isogai, Christina Mazuski, Lennart Oettl
• Parental/Pup-Directed Behaviour Yoh Isogai
• The Amygdala John O’Keefe
• Defensive Behaviour Tiago Branco
• Human Emotion Quentin Huys

Module 4 - Action Systems

• Module Introduction Andrew Murray
• Pattern Generation Peter Latham
• Computational Control Maneesh Sahani
• Cerebellum Tom Otis
• Basal Ganglia Marcus Stephenson-Jones
• Neocortex: Circuitry and Models Andrew Murray, Maneesh Sahani
• Module 4 Q&A All module organisers

Module 5 - Cognitive Systems, Decision Making, and Learning

• Decision-Making I: From Sensation to Action Sonja Hofer
• Decision-Making II: Evidence Integration Peter Latham
• Reinforcement Learning Theory Quentin Huys
• Decision-making III: Learning How to Act Marcus Stephenson-Jones
• Synaptic Plasticity and BCM Theory Claudia Clopath
• Neuromodulation and State Changes Marcus Stephenson-Jones
• Neural Correlates of Engrams and Learning Sonja Hofer
• Working Memory and Cognitive Control Athena Akrami
• Intelligence and Adaptive Behaviour Adam Kampff
• Module 5 Q&A All module organisers

Lecturers

• Athena Akrami, Group Leader, SWC, UCL
• Tiago Branco, Group Leader, SWC, UCL
• Neil Burgess, Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Space and Memory Group Leader, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL
• Claudia Clopath, Reader in Computational Neuroscience, Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College
• Sonja Hofer, Associate Professor in Neural Circuits and Behaviour, SWC, UCL
• Quentin Huys, Senior Clinical Lecturer, Max Planck Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, UCL
• Yoh Isogai, Group Leader, SWC, UCL
• Adam Kampff, Group Leader, SWC, UCL
• Peter Latham, Professor of Theoretical Neuroscience, Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL
• Troy Margrie, Professor of Systems Neuroscience, Associate Director, SWC, UCL
• Christina Mazuski, Research Fellow, SWC, UCL
• Tom Mrsic-Flogel, Professor in Neural Circuits and Behaviour, Director, SWC, UCL
• Andrew Murray, Group Leader, SWC, UCL
• Lennart Oettl, Research Fellow, SWC, UCL
• John O’Keefe, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, SWC, UCL
• Tom Otis, Professor of Neuroscience, Chief Scientific Officer, SWC, UCL
• Maneesh Sahani, Professor of Theoretical Neuroscience and Machine Learning, Director, Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL
• Marcus Stephenson-Jones, Group Leader, SWC, UCL

Experimental Neuroscience

Module 1 - Electrophysiology Fundamentals

• Organisers: Tiago Branco, Troy Margrie
• Teaching assistants: Oriol Pavon Arocas, Charly Rousseau, Vanessa Stempel, Chryssanthi Tsitoura, Mateo Velez-Fort

Module 2 - Optics and Imaging

• Organisers: Sonja Hofer, Tom Mrsic-Flogel
• Teaching assistants: Rob Campbell, Alex Fratzl, Francesca Greenstreet, Petr Znamenskii

Module 3 - Molecular Biology and Behaviour

• Organisers: Yoh Isogai, John O’Keefe
• Teaching assistants: Marius Bauza, Mathew Edwards, Christina Mazuski, Daniel Regester, Spencer Wilson

Module 4 - Optogenetics and Photometry

• Organisers: Andrew Murray, Tom Otis
• Teaching assistants: Emily Reader-Harris, Victoria Tung, Egzona Morina

Module 5 - From Computer Vision to Closed Loop Reinforcement

• Organisers: Athena Akrami, Adam Kampff, Marcus Stephenson-Jones

 

Neural Data Analysis

The SWC hosts a large number of events, some open to the larger community and some specific to Centre members. 

Open events

• SWC Special Lectures
• SWC Annual Symposium
• SWC Seminar Series
• SWC Emerging Neuroscientists Seminar Series

Internal events

• Speed Science
• Data Club
• Journal Club
• Tea Hour
• Lunch with Seminar Speakers
• PyClub
• PyStarters
• Data Analysis for the Rest of Us

SWC Special Lectures

The Centre annually invites a high profile speaker to hold a special lecture. Past invitees include Sir David Attenborough, Professor Frans de Waal, and Professor Daniel Dennett.

SWC Annual Student-Sponsored Symposium

At the beginning of each academic year, SWC and Gatsby students organize the SWC Annual Symposium. This consists of an afternoon of talks by invited speakers, followed by an evening dinner.

SWC Seminar Series

Each week sees an interesting seminar given by an internationally renowned speaker. Students have the opportunity to have lunch together with invited speakers in conjunction with the seminar.

Emerging Neuroscientists Seminar Series

This seminar series is an open competition for postdocs around the world to apply to present their work at the SWC. The aim of the series is to give exceptional early career neuroscientists an opportunity to visit London, present as part of the regular SWC seminar series and discuss their science with SWC faculty, postdocs and students. 

Speed Science

In this summer networking event, students or postdocs from each group in the building give a brief presentation on the work of their lab. Each presentation is followed by a Q&A and then further discussion over a barbeque on our rooftop terrace.

Data Club

Data Club takes place bi-weekly at lunch time and involves a member of one of our labs presenting experimental results and questions from an ongoing project.

Journal Club

Students at the Centre meet regularly to discuss important scientific papers.

Tea Hour

Taking place each Friday afternoon, the content of Tea Hour is varied and ranges from broad research talks to game nights and quizzes. Students determine the topic for at least every second Tea Hour.

PyClub and PyStarters

Initiated by post-docs and students, these learning forums are aimed at learning and sharing best practices in Python Programming between Centre members. PyClub caters to more experienced programmers and PyStarters to beginners.

Data Analysis for the Rest of Us

Like PyClub and PyStarters, the initiative for this learning group came from post-docs and students who wanted to deepen their proficiency in data analysis methods relevant to modern neuroscience. And like the former, it is also open to anyone in the building with a commitment to learn.

Meet Shanice, a PhD student in the Isogai lab at SWC. Thanks to her previous lab experience at University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and University of Reading, she had few surprises when embarking on her PhD at SWC. Now in her second year, Shanice shares her experience so far and one thing that did surprise her:

“One thing that did surprise me about my PhD at SWC though was just how interdisciplinary it is! I didn’t realise this would stretch to things like electronics and 3D printing. In our optics course, we built a two-photon microscope and for our PhD Boot Camp we even built a robot! I never thought I would get to do these things in a biological PhD.”

Read Shanice’s full story here: Embarking on a PhD in systems neuroscience
 

Meet Steve, the first ever SWC student to be awarded their PhD. He shares some of the highlights during his time as a PhD student in the Margrie Lab, some of the hardest parts and also his top tips.

“One of the nice things about finishing my PhD is that I can now devote some time to thinking about what I want to do next. I didn’t spend much of my time during my PhD thinking about next steps. The SWC is a great environment – I don’t have a strong incentive to leave just yet!”

Read Steve’s story here: What is a neuroscience PhD really like? 

 

Meet Nicole, a PhD student in the Hofer lab at SWC.  She shares her journey in science so far and her advice to those interested in pursuing a PhD in neuroscience, including what being a PhD Student involves day-to-day and some top tips for applying.

“I am a first-generation student as no one in my family ever went to university. I remember when I first started my undergraduate degree, I had no idea what it would be like and I didn’t want to ask questions. I didn’t even know what a PhD was! A PhD involves working on one specific project (for around 3-7 years) and conducting the research yourself. You start out with a research question you are interested in and diverge or focus on a specific topic based on your findings. On top of that, you plan your experiments yourself, with help from your PI and postdocs in your lab.”

Read Nicole’s journey here: Pursuing a PhD in neuroscience

Check out our Alumni page to see SWC students that have been awarded their PhDs and their graduate destinations.

Meet Alex Fratzl, formerly a PhD student in the Hofer Lab at SWC, and now a Postdoctoral research fellow in the Roska Lab at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology (IOB) in the beautiful city of Basel. He shares how his PhD helped equip him for a career in neuroscience research:

“Given my goal of opening my own independent research lab in the future, the experiences during my PhD helped me to develop scientific, intellectual, and transversal skills needed for succeeding in an academic career.”

Read Alex’s full story here: From a systems neuroscience PhD to a postdoc in visual research

Meet Matthew Phillips, formerly a PhD student in the Branco Lab at SWC, and now Co-founder and CEO at Learney, a start-up building learning software for companies that need help upskilling their employees in new technologies such as data science, machine learning and AI. He shares how his PhD helped him decide to co-found a start-up:

“My PhD helped a lot with this decision because it helped me realised I enjoy working on long-term projects that I have control and ownership over. I really like the feeling that when you get a result in the lab, or build some new software or gain a new customer, it’s your work that has gone into that and my PhD helped me realise that was appealing to me.

Read Matthew’s full story here: From a neuroscience PhD to building software for learning

Doing a PhD is both exciting and challenging. To help students navigate through it all, the structure of the programme is designed to provide several sources of support, both informal and formal.

Fellow students form an inner circle for support and advice. The structure of the first year encourages students to make close connections with in-year peers from both the GCNU and the SWC programme. Together with GCNU students, SWC students have formed a PhD Student Association, which organises regular social events and meetings.

The first year, through courses and events, also brings students into contact with a large majority of the Centre community. In addition to introducing students to the research going on in all the groups, this makes students feel at home and helps them start to build a network.

More formal sources of support include the PhD Programme Committee, the PhD Programme Coordinator, and our Human Resources staff. In the first year, students are encouraged to consult any of these support networks for questions related to career, academics, or pastoral care.

At the beginning of the second year, students assemble a thesis committee, which in addition to the main supervisor will have at least two more members. The thesis committee becomes an additional avenue for guidance and help.

For students wishing to discuss with someone outside of the institute, the UCL Doctoral School has a range of resources that can provide advice in many areas, from academic progress to mental health and wellbeing. To explore these services, this page is a good starting point.

 

In London

• UCL Neuroscience Domain
• Imperial College
• Francis Crick Institute
• King’s College

In the UK

• British Neuroscience Association
• Cambridge Neuroscience
• Oxford Neuroscience