Sainsbury Wellcome Centre Systems Neuroscience PhD

About this degree

The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre PhD Programme is designed to provide world-class training in experimental and computational neuroscience, a perfect start for a career in academia or industry.

The first-year courses are taught by faculty from the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit (GCNU), and affiliated institutions, all experts in their respective fields. Right from the start of the programme, this team teaching approach allows students to interact with our faculty. The taught courses will provide you with a solid foundation in systems and theoretical neuroscience, as well as in modern experimental techniques and approaches to data analysis.

Regular large scientific events and informal internal meetings offer a wealth of opportunities to learn about the latest research going on within the Centre and in the larger neuroscience community.

Students in our programme are core to the activities at the Centre, playing a crucial part in organizing seminars, outreach opportunities, and internal learning groups.

Students admitted to the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre PhD Programme are fully funded and receive an annual stipend, as well as funds to support attendance at international courses or meetings. We also cover the cost of tuition fees for home as well as international students.

Students at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre study toward a PhD in Systems Neuroscience. You will receive a comprehensive introduction to theoretical and systems neuroscience, as well as intensive training in experimental techniques, including imaging, physiology, molecular, and behavioural methods. You will network extensively with researchers at the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit and a broad variety of other neuroscience research groups at UCL. Applications to this programme must be submitted directly to the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre via our online portal.

Applicants should have a keen interest in neuroscience combined with an undergraduate degree in a relevant field (for example Neuroscience, Life Sciences, Physics, Mathematics, or Computer Science) at a minimum of upper second-class UK Bachelor’s level or overseas equivalent.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Alumni from the programme have set up or joined start-ups, and accepted positions in prestigious labs or world-renowned companies.