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About the Department

The Department of Neurobiology, located on Northwestern’s Evanston Campus, is home to an accomplished community of faculty members who have been at the forefront of both research and education since its founding in 1981.  In 2015, we became one of the first Departments in the nation to offer an Undergraduate Major in Neuroscience, with 37 enrolled and an initial graduating class of only 9 students.  Just over ten years later, in 2026, the Undergraduate Major celebrated 500 students concurrently enrolled.  In 2017, the Department launched our NEURON Scholars Program, offering enhanced guidance and opportunities for Undergraduates interested in pursuing Neuroscience research.  In 2023, we launched our VINE Scholars Program, offering an integrated path to a NUIN Ph.D. for undergraduate and MS students at Northwestern.

Department Overview

Our department is home to neuroscientists who study how the brain develops and functions, focusing on diverse topics including sensory and motor systems, biological rhythms, learning and memory, and the neurobiology of disease. The department employs state-of-the-art techniques in molecular neurogenetics, optical and electron imaging, cellular electrophysiology, and in vivo recording methods to manipulate and monitor the activity of neural circuits in a wide range of animal models. As one of the first neuroscience departments housed in a college of arts and sciences, the department is credited with establishing innovative educational programs and achieving widely-acclaimed scientific advances at the interface between molecular biology, physiology, and behavior.

Academic Programs

Students can discover and explore neurobiology through our courses and/or one of our affiliated programs

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