‘Engagement in the Scientific Process’: HSE Launches Master’s Programme in Neurobiology
The HSE University Academic Council has elected to launch a new Master's programme in Neurobiology for students majoring in Biology. Students of the programme will have access to unique equipment and research groups, providing them with the knowledge and experience to pursue careers in science, medicine and pharmacy, IT and neurotechnology, and education and HR services.
Modern science and economics are undergoing a neurobiological revolution. Brain-and-nervous-system research has become a key driver of progress in a wide variety of fields, including medicine, while the transition to high-tech healthcare is a priority of the scientific and technological development strategy of the Russian Federation.
In these circumstances, the new master's programme is particularly relevant. The faculty will train unique specialists proficient in a wide range of methods, from molecular biology and histology to computer modelling and analysis of EEG/fMRI data. Renowned researchers with publications in Nature and Science and experience working in the world's best neuroscience centres will be recruited as lecturers, contributing to the establishment of a competence centre in molecular neuroscience at HSE University.
Pavel Balaban, Professor at the HSE Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Managing Director of the Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of RAS, and academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, was appointed the programme’s academic supervisor. He is the author and co-author of more than 320 publications, and is currently focusing on research of the central nervous system of invertebrates and vertebrates using the latest methods and approaches of neurophysiology and molecular biology.
The training will be conducted in Russian and partly in English in a full-time format. Students will study such compulsory disciplines as cellular and molecular neurobiology, systemic neurophysiology and neuroanatomy, cognitive neuroscience, neuroinformatics and data analysis in neuroscience, and others. The thesis will take the form of a research work aimed at solving a topical problem in neuroscience.
Neurobiology integrates knowledge in biology, psychology, physics, chemistry, computer science, and mathematics, so the programme will pursue an interdisciplinary approach. The programme will provide training not only in neurobiology, but also in neuroinformatics, data analysis, patent science, and other disciplines. Students will have the opportunity to implement individual research and applied projects within HSE laboratories and at partner organisations.
Pavel Balaban
Academic Supervisor of the Neurobiology Programme, RAS Academician
'Today neurobiology has become not just a science, but the main tool for understanding how the brain works. Our programme is intended not just for students, but for researchers by vocation—enthusiastic people for whom the question of how the work of a large group of cells coordinates all organs and forms purposeful behaviour is not just a topic to think about, but a possible research project.
We invite talented graduates of bachelor's and specialist programmes in biology, medicine, physics, chemistry, bioengineering, and bioinformatics. A solid foundation in your field and a sincere, knowledge-based interest in brain research is way more important than your diploma. Whether you are a mathematician who dreams of solving neural codes or a biologist who wants to understand the mechanisms of behaviour, you are welcome to join us. Your academic integrity, critical thinking, and willingness to work at the laboratory are the things that matter.
We do not offer lectures from textbooks, but engagement in the scientific process. You will get access to unique equipment and become part of research groups that conduct experiments and publish articles in the world's leading journals. We do not prepare passive observers, but co-authors of future discoveries. This is your chance to build your academic reputation in one of the most promising and competitive fields of knowledge from your first day on our master’s programme. We look forward to meeting the most daring and enthusiastic students!'
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