Hi! I'm and MD/PhD with a research background in systems neuroscience, starting MS4 and trying to decide whether to go into Psych or Neuro. I plan to continue doing research and would like to be able to work along the lines systems neuroscience (i.e. in vivo electrophysiology, computational modeling, neural information processing). However, the Neurology program at my school isn't really very research heavy and I'm not really getting a clear sense of what research topics are of interest in Neuro these days and whether my research background/skill set could be put to use in answering these questions. In terms of clinical interest, I could really go either way and I've enjoyed floor work in both specialties. Any input appreciated!
Neurology research with system neuroscience background
- Thread starter lambda242
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2006
- Messages
- 1,868
- Reaction score
- 887
Your background seems a better fit for neuro, but you certainly could go either way and find a lot of opportunities. Do you want to get money from NIA, NINDS, or NIMH? Seems like a silly question, but funding patterns do matter.
As an MD/PhD, you are clearly above asking what the "big topics in neurology" are. I do genetics and systems biology, and the number of topics there alone are too many to list in this forum. It sounds like you could do very well in a program with strong neuroimaging (DTI, fMRI, etc.) and/or invasive electrophys (simian labs and functional neurosurgery). The neuroimaging folks tend to work very well with either neuro or psych backgrounds. Simian lesional and stim experiments tend to be the realm of functional neurosurgeons, which tend to stay closer to neuro (although you can certainly find examples that prove otherwise). There are also a lot of neurologists (mostly in epilepsy) who do a lot of grids and strips work, evaluating neural networks in seizure patients. You might find some traction there as well.
Bottom line, you need a major academic program with a deep research base, regardless of whether you ultimately come down on the neuro or psych side of the fence. It might ultimately come down to whether you really want to study schizophrenia limbic networks or AD/autism/trauma. Oh, and add DOD to the list of funding sources if you are interested in trauma/PD/FTD.
As an MD/PhD, you are clearly above asking what the "big topics in neurology" are. I do genetics and systems biology, and the number of topics there alone are too many to list in this forum. It sounds like you could do very well in a program with strong neuroimaging (DTI, fMRI, etc.) and/or invasive electrophys (simian labs and functional neurosurgery). The neuroimaging folks tend to work very well with either neuro or psych backgrounds. Simian lesional and stim experiments tend to be the realm of functional neurosurgeons, which tend to stay closer to neuro (although you can certainly find examples that prove otherwise). There are also a lot of neurologists (mostly in epilepsy) who do a lot of grids and strips work, evaluating neural networks in seizure patients. You might find some traction there as well.
Bottom line, you need a major academic program with a deep research base, regardless of whether you ultimately come down on the neuro or psych side of the fence. It might ultimately come down to whether you really want to study schizophrenia limbic networks or AD/autism/trauma. Oh, and add DOD to the list of funding sources if you are interested in trauma/PD/FTD.
