With the rise of big data analytics in the healthcare sector, there is an increasing demand for scientists with expertise in data mining and interpretation that can be used to inform clinical decisions. This master's course is designed to provide you with these skills, enhancing your career prospects as a computational neuroscientist, working in healthcare sector or in the field of medical research.
This degree will give you a theoretical and practical understanding of computational neuroscience. You'll gain an advanced knowledge of neurones and their organisation into functional circuits that process information and control behaviour.
You'll develop your skills in recording, securely storing, analysing and visualising neural data to aid diagnosis and to determine the best treatment options or to answer a research question. Additionally, you'll gain hands-on experience in the use of programming methods used in computational neuroscience.
In our partnership with Saracens Rugby Club, you’ll have access to the fantastic resources at StoneX Stadium, including the brand new £23 million redevelopment project of the West Stand which offers state-of-the-art facilities as a top educational and high performance centre for teaching and research excellence. With some of the most advanced equipment in the UK, you will be able to utilise the new specialist spaces, simulation suites, specialist labs, plus much more.
This master's course is ideal to those who want to analyse big data which informs clinical decisions or to investigate medical research questions.
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This is a multi-discipline master's programme, covering disciplines of computer science, neuroscience, psychology, and statistics.
Your studies will focus on the collection, analysis and visualisation of neural data. You'll acquire knowledge of how the brain works at cellular, network and system levels and build on your existing knowledge and skill base to gain key understandings that will be readily applicable for a career in computational neuroscience.
The module aims to provide you with current theories of the anatomy, molecular and cellular mechanisms of the nervous system. The emphasis is to provide you with knowledge of the key concepts and the latest theories in neurobiology so that you can understand neurological conditions, critique the neuroscience literature and model neurological systems.
This module gives you the tools required to design effective and efficient experiments and to test scientific hypotheses. You'll also develop the necessary skills for statistical analysis in a hypothesis testing context.
This module will introduce you to advanced level study of topics in neuropsychology, with a particular focus on cognitive neuropsychology. The foundations of the approach will be outlined, followed by examination of neuropsychological case studies and related research in several areas of cognition, including memory, language processing, and visual and perceptual disorders. You will also be encouraged to develop a critical awareness of the controversies that exist within this field and how these link to controversies in neuroscience.
The aim of this module is to gain an understanding of modelling neurons, synapses, and neural topologies in a computer.
This includes the strengths and weaknesses of models, how to use these models to perform useful computations, and ideas about how to move from these models to functioning model brains.
This module will develop your skills in the planning and execution of an analytical study and in the critical evaluation of real research results, drawing on knowledge acquired from other modules. In addition, you'll also develop your communication skills in order to communicate your findings in written and oral form.
This module will equip you with the theoretical and algorithmic basis for understanding learning systems employed in computational neuroscience as well as the associated issues with the large datasets/data dimensionalities typically generated in the field of neuroscience.
You will be introduced to algorithmic and statistical approaches for training learning systems from vectorial and sequential exemplar data, learning the process of representing training data within appropriate feature spaces for the purposes of classification and related regressions.
Where classifiers have a relationship to statistical theory, this is also fully explored.
For statistical representation, data mining and visualisation, you will be instructed in using the specialised and relevant languages such as Python/R and Matlab.
This module allows you to develop specialised knowledge of current theories and concepts that are employed in acquiring and analysing signals of neurological origin. Although the focus will be on research methodologies, you will also explore applications in clinical neurology and neurophysiology. Neuroimaging and analysis methods based on fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) will be further examined, along with quantitative methods associated with EEG (electroencephalography), MEG and EIT (electrical impedance tomography).
This module aims to provide you with a specialised body of current knowledge in the field of peripheral neurophysiology, exploring the concepts of equipment, recording parameters, patient diagnosis and appropriate investigation. You will gain confidence in the interpretation of diagnostic information in peripheral neurophysiology, leading to theories of treatment strategies, and become familiar with specialised and advanced techniques and technologies.
The module reviews your current understanding of the epidemiology, aetiology, pathology, diagnostic investigations and treatment interventions of a range of neurological conditions that are of great public interest today. You'll develop your ability to interpret clinical and neuropathological data for the purpose of either research or clinical diagnosis.
You can find more information about this course in the programme specification. Optional modules are not offered on every course. If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, or there are staffing changes which affect the teaching, it may not be offered. If an optional module will not run, we will advise you after the module selection period when numbers are confirmed, or at the earliest time that the programme team make the decision not to run the module, and help you choose an alternative module.
We are regularly reviewing and updating our programmes to ensure you have the best learning experience. We are taking what we have learnt during the pandemic and enhancing our teaching methods with new and innovative ways of learning.
We aim to model a wide range of teaching strategies and approaches on the course which you can adapt to your own setting.
You'll gain knowledge and understanding through:
Your knowledge and understanding is assessed by seminar presentations, resource design, written assignments, unseen examinations and project work.
We are regularly reviewing and updating our programmes to ensure you have the best learning experience. We are taking what we have learnt during the pandemic and enhancing our teaching methods with new and innovative ways of learning.
We are currently reviewing our approach to teaching and learning for 2023 entry and beyond. We've learned a lot about how to give you a quality education - we aim to combine the best of our pre-pandemic teaching and learning with access to online learning and digital resources which put you more in charge of when and how you study. We will keep you updated on this throughout the application process.
Your timetable will be built around on campus sessions using our professional facilities, with online sessions for some activities where we know being virtual will add value. We’ll use technology to enhance all of your learning and give you access to online resources to use in your own time.
The table below gives you an idea of what learning looks like across a typical week. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on campus sessions.
This information is likely to change slightly for 2023 entry as our plans evolve. You'll receive full information on your teaching before you start your course.
Learning structure: typical hourly breakdown in 2021/22 | ||
Live in-person on campus learning | Contact hours per week, per level: | 5 hours |
Live online learning | Average hours per week, per level: | 5 hours |
Tutor set learning activities | Average hours per week, per level: | 2 hours |
This information is likely to change slightly for 2023 entry as our plans evolve. You'll receive full information on your teaching before you start your course.
Definitions of terms
Support
You have a strong support network available to you to make sure you develop all the necessary academic skills you need to do well on your course.
Our support services will be delivered online and on campus and you have access to a range of different resources so you can get the help you need, whether you’re studying at home or have the opportunity to come to campus.
You have access to one to one and group sessions for personal learning and academic support from our library and IT teams, and our network of learning experts. Our teams will also be here to offer financial advice, and personal wellbeing, mental health and disability support.
Once you graduate, you'll be prepared for a career as a computational neuroscientist in the healthcare sector, medical research or academia.
You could also consider continuing your studies to PhD level.
Dr Tatiana Novoselova is a Lecturer in Neuroscience and combines a medical school background with scientific research that is focused on neurodegenerative disorders using molecular and cellular biology techniques together with a proteomics approach to identify potential therapeutic targets. Tatiana has recently developed a particular interest in how the diagnostics and management of neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions can be improved using computational neuroscience methods and artificial intelligence.
Professor Bayford has extensive teaching and research experiences in the area of physiological measurements. He has a wide research interest, including deep brain stimulation, neuroimaging and electroencephalography (EEG) analysis.
Professor Huyck is a world expert in artificial intelligence. His main research area is neural processing, particularly cell assemblies, and Natural Language Processing, which is a sub-field of Artificial Intelligence.
Dr Windridge heads the University's Data Science activities. His research interests centre on the related fields of machine-learning, cognitive systems and computer vision.
We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.
Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.
Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.
At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.
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Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Code: PGY000
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Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Code: PGC860
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Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Code: PGI100
