Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get involved in Co-SIGN?
Excellent question. Check out our upcoming events and attend one, or check out our member list and email one of our officers.
Is Co-SIGN doing any Student-initiated Courses this year?
Yes! We are planning on doing a spring quarter SiC course this year. Stay tuned for more information later in the quarter. If you have any questions email Stu Blair at sblair (at) stanford.edu.
Is Co-SIGN doing any professor luncheons this year?
Yes! We are planning on doing professor luncheons starting this quarter. Also stay tuned for more information later in the quarter. If you have any questions email Maura Aranguren Z. at mauraaz (at) stanford.edu.
Does Stanford have a neuroscience major?
No , Stanford does not; however, a handful of majors do offer concentrations or specialization tracks related to neuroscience:
-- Biology – Neurobiology.
-- Psychology – Neuroscience.
-- Human Biology – A plethora of areas of concentrations (AOC) in existence or individually-designed ones. A neuroscience-related AOC might fall under AREA 4: Human Development (HumD) or AREA 6: Brain and Behavior (BnB).
-- Symbolic Systems – Check with individual department's student advisors for ease in petitions to count outside department classes towards your proposed course of study. Usually, if the course is within the scope of neuroscience, there should not be too much of a problem. However, different departments do vary in their flexibility.
In terms of deciding which major is best for you to pursue studies in neuroscience, consider whether you are interested in the cellular/molecular bases and mechanisms (bio or humbio), the broader sociological implications (psych or humbio), or the computational abilities of the brain involving modeling (symsys). Feel free to explore specific classes in diverse departments rather than restricting to a particular major to discover the "feel" of each department and decide from there.
Also, do not feel absolutely obliged to major in one of the above majors. They are by no means exclusive and exhaustive. Many people in neuroscience-related careers have studied anything from mathematics to physics to philosophy to electrical engineering. Undergraduate coursework can simply provide an introduction to this fascinating field. It's not too late to jump on board post-grad!.
How can I get involved in labs and how do I get to know professors in the field?
Come to CO-SIGN events where we feature some of the top researchers in the field. Many of these professors are not only passionate about their research but also genuinely caring towards students' interests. Please feel free to talk to the professors in person before or after the event to start establishing connections! Sign yourself up on various mailing lists such as the Stanford Premed Association list and the bio-interest list to receive reliable announcements related to research assistant recruitments. Visit the Stanford Neuroscience institute website for a listing of all professors in the Biology department as well as the medical school.
What are some awesome neuroscience classes out there?
a. Human Behavioral Biology (Sapolsky)
b. Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience (faculty varies).
c. Cognitive Neuroscience (McClure)
d. Russ Fernald's class
What are some other ways to find out more information?
Sign up for the Stanford Institute for Neuro-Innovation and Translational Neurosciences SINTN mailing list at: neurolist@lists.stanford.edu. The SINTN also hosts an annual retreat for neuroscience researchers, professors, and graduate students. However, many are willing to include undergraduates. This would be an unprecedented opportunity to meet people you may potentially want to learn from and work with. You also receive the added benefit of spending a weekend out in Santa Cruz! Professors Bill Newsome bnewsome(at)stanford.edu and Thomas Clandinin trclandinin(at)gmail.com are very supportive of undergrads interested in this!