About the School
Introduction from the Head of the School - Prof. Ohad Ben Shahar
Welcome to the School of Brain Science and Cognition at Ben Gurion UniversityWith nerve cells that outnumber the stars in the Milky Way, and connections that total several orders of magnitude more, the human brain is often described as the most complicated and mysterious object in the known universe. This biological machine represents some of the most fascinating and difficult challenges science has ever faced – how does our brain operate normally, what makes it malfunction, and if needed, how can we cure it. These mysteries of the brain have been occupying the best minds from time immemorial, but with modern neuroscience we are closer than ever to solving them.
A hallmark of interdisciplinarity, brains sciences involve just about any imaginable scientific field. This unique characteristic led to the establishment of BGU's School of Brain Science and Cognition as the core framework for all research and teaching activities in brain and cognitive sciences at BGU, while bringing together the expertise of researchers and educators from all main BGU faculties. Committed to the need for the best trained brain sciences researchers and practitioners, the school directly offers and awards a range of single and double major BSc programs in Brain Sciences, with the participation of departments from the faculties of Natural Sciences, Health Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Engineering Sciences. Integrating a range of fields, from Physiology, Anatomy, and Biological sciences, through Cognitive science, Psychology, Linguistics and Philosophy, to Computer Science, Physics, and Mathematics, our programs provide the extensive foundations for the future generation researchers in brain sciences. In fact, as of the academic year 2022-2023, the school offers one of the most comprehensive and unique study programs for a single-departmental BSc degree in Cognitive and Brain Sciences world-wide, with advanced courses in several fields (such as physiological neuroscience or computational cognition), as well as a variety of double-major degrees with departments from the natural sciences and the humanities and social sciences. Practical research experience is a basic element already incorporated into our programs, exposing students to a variety of laboratories and research directions already at that stage. The higher research degrees (master's and doctorate degrees) themselves are currently distributed over all the relevant departments, and open up opportunities in the fascinating world of scientific discovery in every possible corner of brain and cognitive sciences according to the student's interest.
With approximately 70 internationally recognized member scientists from across BGU's campus, the Zelman center for Neuroscience research as its general research arm, and numerous affiliated research centers and research labs, BGU's School of Brain Sciences and Cognition is committed to excellence in brain science research and education. Allow me to invite you to browse the school's website, get to know our study programs and faculty members, and contact those whose activities are relevant to your subjects of interest. Whether you are candidates for a bachelor's degree, about to graduate and are looking for research training in the field, or are already established researchers looking to participate and contribute to the synergy required in brain sciences and cognition, we invite you to join us on this unique journey.
