Research Programs and Labs Masthead

ASU-Barrow PhD Program

About the Program

For more than ten years, the ASU-Barrow Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience has served as a premier training program for leaders in neuroscience. Established in 2007 as a collaborative effort between Barrow Neurological Institute, Arizona State University, the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), the program was the first neuroscience graduate program in Phoenix. With a focus on interdisciplinary research, the program complements the large neuroscience presence in the city.

This doctoral program provides students with a unique opportunity to answer today’s most pressing neuro-related questions under the guidance of top-tier researchers. With interests ranging from basic science to translational and clinical research, students are able to explore neuro-related issues at the molecular, single-cell level as well as at a behavioral and cognitive whole systems level. Students in this program benefit from close collaboration with experienced researchers from the very beginning of their doctoral work.

Students apply to the PhD program through the ASU admissions process. Once students are admitted to the program, they take courses at ASU while beginning their neuroscience research work at the partner institution of their choosing. Since the program’s inception, 20 of the 65 neuroscience PhD students have chosen to complete their graduate studies as a member of a Barrow laboratory. Students choose Barrow based on the groundbreaking translational neuroscience expertise we offer. We ensure that our students obtain broad training in the neurosciences while also mastering their particular area of interest, all in a dynamic research and clinical environment. Emphasis is put on mentoring students toward successful, independent scientific careers.

Since its beginning in 1962, Barrow Neurological Institute has steadily grown its reputation as a worldwide leader in numerous neurological and neurodegenerative diseases areas. Our faculty members focus on areas such as:

  • Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD)
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
  • Brain tumors
  • Neuroimaging
  • Neuroimmunology
  • Neurosurgery
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Stroke and vascular disease

We invite students with a strong desire to push the boundaries of neuroscience to join us at Barrow Neurological Institute. Graduates from our labs have gone on to pursue careers in academia, pharmaceutical companies, and the biotech industry.

For more information about the program, please contact the program director, Dr. Rita Sattler, by email at Rita.Sattler@BarrowNeuro.org.