General research intrests of the department:

The eleven groups in the department conduct an active and inter-disciplinary research on a variety of subjects, from the actionmechanism of neuronal and hormone receptors to neuronal development anddegeneration, as well as on biochemical and biophysical aspects of cell membrane receptors with implications for cancer research. The study of the brain and the nervous system is at the frontier of modernbiology and medicine. Nerve cells produce and transmit electrochemicalexcitation, controlling both motor and cognitive functions. In this widecontext, the area of interest of modern neurobiology focuses on themolecular and cellular mechanisms underlying signaling, development anddegeneration of neurons, as well as on their response to hormones originatingin other organs and their interactions with other cells.

The major lines of research pursued at the department fall into two major avenues:

(a) Signal transduction in neurotransmitter and hormone receptors- from ligand-receptor interaction and the mediation of biological response (or signaling effects on cell growth), through studies on the interactions between different receptors, their fate in the cell, and the design and effects of specific drugs. Studies in this category have implications for problems such as hypertension, heart failure, cancer and the control of cell proliferation, as well as the biological clock and sleep problems.

(b) Investigation of processes related to neuronal development, degeneration, and programmed cell death. Specific studies in this area deal with the mechanistic aspects of the above subjects, and with their relation to neurodegenerative disorders, especially Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson'sdisease.

The large variety of the research subjects in the department is reflected also by the wide scope of techniques and methods that are employed - frombiochemical, molecular biology and cell-biology approaches to immunology, endocrinology and biophysical techniques.

ACADEMIC DEGREES AWARDED WITHIN THE FRAME WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NEUROBIOLOGY

Bachelor of Sciences

The Faculty of Life Sciences, to which the Department of Neurobiology belongs, awards a B.Sc. degree in Biology which focuses on the study of modern biology from the cellular and molecular to the organismic and ecologicallevels. Elective courses in the Neurosciences are available within this program to interested undergraduates.

Master of Sciences

Themes for studies towards an M.Sc. degree can be found in the reseach abstracts located under the names of the individual researchers at thedepartment. The research subjects are suitable for studies leading to anM.Sc. degree in the Programs for Neurobiology or Biochemistry at the recentlyestablished Graduate School at the Goerge S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences.

Additional information can be obtained at the Faculty secretariat (972-3-640-9802), or at the Department secretariat (972-3-640-9825).

Doctor of Philosophy

Research leading to the degree of Ph.D. can be pursued under the supervision of faculty members of the Neurobiology department in the research areas described in each faculty member's Homepage.