Neuroscience MRes

Utilise exciting cutting-edge neuroscience techniques to advance our understanding of the nervous system

Our nervous system is the most complex and highly organised system within our body. This incredible network is responsible for generating our perception, thoughts, and even our behaviour. Your research will seek to understand how this structure operates, before using this understanding to tackle real-world challenges such as ageing, stroke recovery and spinal cord injury repair.

This unique, one-year Master of Research degree includes an almost year-long laboratory based research experience. You will have the opportunity to develop and learn innovative techniques as you apply them in a hands-on setting. This provides you with invaluable experience for your future in research or academia.

With this course you may choose from a wealth of different research areas, allowing you to contribute to research teams and topics you are personally passionate about. Each of the four subject areas listed below contains a multitude of speciality teams.

Research areas include:

• Molecules and Cells
• Disease, Disorder, Injury & Repair
• Circuits, Systems and Computations
• Psychology, Behaviour and Cognitive Neuroscience

Here are just a few examples of past research topic chosen by students:

• Role of muscles and central drive in the dynamic and static phases of a task
• Virtual Reality Therapy and Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
• Predictors of habit strength in health behaviours
• Optical measurements of neural plasticity in mouse models of brain disorders

Find out more about our Neuroscience research.

The programme has two components. First are taught courses, with hands-on training in:

• advanced tools and techniques useful in interrogating the nervous system for preclinical and clinical purposes;
• scientific writing, presentation skills along with critical reading and comprehension of research articles.

This ensures you have all the skills needed for the major component, the laboratory-based project. In addition, to make it easier for you to make the transition, an overview of the field of neuroscience (online resources, and lectures) as taught to our undergraduate students are made available for your perusal.

The second component – the laboratory-based project, is the dominating portion of this programme. Project titles and briefs are made available to you prior to you starting in the laboratories, these change every year as it is dependent on the direction of research of the groups. These will be made available to students to select and decide upon as soon as you have registered and confirmed your enrolment. Students will make the decisions during the first month of the programme after meeting with the group leader/s. This will be arranged by the module or programme lead.

The modules introduce you to contemporary data analysis tools, fundamentals of bioimaging and the use of data from real experimental scenarios. The use of core statistical models (classification, regressions), for analysis of different time-series datasets provided by local researchers, will be introduced during the data analytics module. You will also analyse and interpret large scale biological and biomedical data to help with the diagnostics and therapeutics of physiological function.

Depending on the project chosen, at the end of the course, we expect you to have acquired the skills to:

• Design and conduct experiments to elucidate the working of the neuronal systems.
• Develop an understanding of normal neurological function in vertebrates to enable a better understanding of dysfunction.
• Use technologies to interrogate neurological dysfunctions in the vertebrate population (animal and human diseases).
• Analyse the data using appropriate methods and statistical techniques, and interpret, critically discuss, and draw conclusions from these data.
• Establish efficacious use of new tools and their outcome evaluation to enable easy transfer of knowledge to preclinical and clinical scientists.
• Provide insight into how this information can then be transferred towards drug discovery, diagnostics, biomarker screening for patient stratification, improved rehabilitation, and technological adaptations.
• Introduce the use of big data analysis, use of mathematical algorithms and software pertinent to the study of the nervous system and development of new tools involving the capture of biological data, processing, and its use for producing a defined output.

Few of the project topic choices in the past have been:

Neuro-engineering

• Role of muscles and central drive in the dynamic and static phases of a task
• AI tools to improve detection of kinematics using a single camera and identification of subjects
• Building fabric-based actuators replicating graded recruitment of biological muscles

Exercise and rehabilitation

• The Effect of Motor Imagery and Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation on Cortical and Spinal Excitability
• Plasticity inhibiting factors in exercise training
• Virtual Reality Therapy and Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

Cognitive neuroscience

• Modelling the effect of sensory modality and trial-by-trial accuracy on active perceptual decisions
• Tensor decompositions for single-trial analysis of EEG data
• Predictors of habit strength in health behaviours

Neurobiology

• Mitochondria fission in the astrocytes of the DVC alters brown fat physiology
• Viral infection of cell lines as a screen for effective viral use in vivo
• Effect of CSPG digestion on cell proliferation and differentiation in the adult rat spinal cord
• Optical measurements of neural plasticity in mouse models of brain disorders
• Expansion microscopy of perineuronal nets in the central nervous system

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Neuroscience MRes in the course catalogue

Modules

Year 1

Learning and teaching

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Entry requirements

Applicants should normally have a bachelor’s degree with at least 2:1 (hons), or equivalent in a relevant scientific discipline which would normally be one of the biological or biomedical sciences, but a natural sciences or engineering graduate will be considered subject to evidence of biological knowledge at an appropriate level. Subject to University regulations MBChB or BDS students who had completed 3 years of study may intercalate if eligible.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Science (6 weeks) and Language for Science: General Science (10 weeks). 

We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. You could study a part-time online course starting in January, or a full-time course in summer. Find out more about online pre-sessionals.

You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.

How to apply

Applications without all of the following will not be considered:

• completed online application form (for Taught Postgraduate Study)

• a completed supporting statement that must include:

  • Examples of your aspirations, and commitment to a specialty career in Neuroscience or related field.

  • Evidence of your knowledge of neuroscience, either course work or experience is vital, and must be provided if not done as part of your undergraduate coursework.

  • A plan for completion of the course (your time available/schedule).

  • Evidence of your identified funding route.

  • Reasons why you wish to study this particular course.

• full CV

• transcript of degree examination marks achieved to date

• copy of final degree certificate (if completed)

• evidence of English language qualification (non-native English speakers only)

• copy of passport (if an overseas student)

Find out more about how to apply.

Application deadline: 13 August 2023

Apply

The link at the top of this page takes you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.

If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Next steps

• we process your application

• we inform you of our decision

• if we make you an offer, you respond by accepting, declining or deferring.

Taught postgraduate confirmation

Taught postgraduate applicants are required to submit their results for consideration as soon as possible. Applicants who require a Student visa to study in the UK are recommended to submit their results no later than 31 July, although they will still be considered if submitted after this date.

Interviews

It is standard procedure to interview applicants, prior to making a decision on their application, for MRes Neuroscience, MSc Biopharmaceutical Development (Industrial) and MSc Sport and Exercise Medicine. Interviews do not form part of the standard admissions process for other programmes in the Faculty of Biological Sciences.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2023

Fees

• UK: £14,000 (total)
• International: £28,000 (total)

Read more about paying fees and charges.

For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.

Additional cost information

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs.

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government.  Find out more at Masters funding overview.

Scholarships for Faculty of Biological Sciences students

We award a generous range of scholarships to UK and international students. We consider all eligible applicants who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and excellent personal and professional skills. Find out more about the range of scholarships we have to offer.

Government-backed loan = Up to £11,222. Find out more.

Alumni bursary = If you are a former student of the University of Leeds you may be eligible for a 10% alumni tuition fee bursary

You can also search our postgraduate scholarships database or you can also find information on MoneySavingExpert

There’s an increasing demand for people skilled in the knowledge of biological sciences applied to healthcare, in the form of biological and medical technology. Knowledge of the use of large data, its collection and analysis are critical. This is leading to an innovative and disruptive technological development for improved diagnostic and therapeutic tools for mental health, mobility, and common dysfunctions like pain.

Upon completion of this programme, you’ll be well-placed to undertake a PhD in this field or as a junior research assistant if working in an academic, start-up or industrial environment.

There are career opportunities in neurotechnology, neuroscience and electroceuticals worldwide with industries and start-ups like GSK and BIOS Health. With the growth in healthcare industries locally in Leeds and Yorkshire, in the UK and internationally there’ an increase in demand for skills like data analytics, imaging, neuropathology and healthcare app development.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.