Neuroscience Program Student Resources

Students must have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA in the following required major courses at the end of two semesters at SLU:

PSY 1010

BIOL 1240/1245

BIOL 1260/1265

CHEM 1110/1115

CHEM 1120/1125

Students who fall below a 3.0 GPA will be placed on program probation. To continue as a neuroscience major after four semesters at SLU, students must obtain at least a 3.0 GPA in the following required major courses:

PSY 1010

PSY 2050

BIOL 1240/1245

BIOL 1260/1265

BIOL 3020

BIOL 3040

CHEM 1110/1115

CHEM 1120/1125

NEUR 3400

You can find the name of your faculty mentor by going to mySLU Dashboard > Banner Self Service > Student > Student Records > View Student Information > Current Term > Go to all Mentor/Advisor Listing. You should have an assigned faculty mentor for all majors and minors. If you believe you are missing a faculty mentor, email neuroscience@slu.edu.

The Neuroscience Peer Mentoring Program allows first and second-year students to meet in small groups with upper-class neuroscience peer mentors. Peer mentors lead within the neuroscience community by sharing their experiences with students, fostering a welcoming environment for program exploration, and assisting new students as they navigate challenging situations. Students are welcome to attend any session.

Find dates for upcoming sessions and request a calendar invite here.

If you have questions, please email neuroscience@slu.edu.

Junior and senior neuroscience majors who would like to become peer mentors will commit to one year of service that includes the following activities:

• Orientation meeting (August/September)
• Neuroscience welcome social (September)
• Two to four small group mentoring sessions (5 p.m. Fall/Spring term)
• DEI training (Spring Term)
• Wellness training/Activity (Fall Term)
• Mid-year reflection meeting and examen activity (January)
• Reflection project and discussion (April/May)

Neuroscience peer mentors can receive credit for Cura Personalis 2 (CORE 2500) Self in Contemplation. Students interested in becoming a peer mentor should complete the form below.

Apply to Be a Peer Mentor. 

Contact: Jennifer Elwyn

Sponsoring Department: Neuroscience Program

Offered: One-year commitment beginning in the fall semester.

The DeNardo Neuroscience Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (NeuroSURF) Program supports SLU undergraduate students for a 10-week summer research program designed for students with a committed interest in cutting-edge research in many neuroscience disciplines. This program is funded through the DeNardo Education and Research Foundation and sponsored by the Neuroscience Program and the Institute for Translational Neuroscience.

• Emily Haar (2022)
• Carla Hamwi (2022)
• Julia Lanfersieck (2022)
• Andrew Hill (2022)
• Shalmali Mirajkar (2021)
• Casey Nichols (2021)
• Laasyapriya Sarva (2021)

The College of Arts and Sciences annually presents the James D. Collins Awards for Excellence in Student Academic Achievement to recognize scholarship and creative achievements among undergraduate students. This award is given to a senior who has demonstrated outstanding work as a neuroscience major.

Award recipients:

• Hallie Youker (2024)
• Julia Lanfersieck (2023)

• Dhvanii Raval (2022)

• Rossana Sandoval (2021)
• Scott Lee (2020)
• Prerana Jayanth (2019)
• Elizabeth Erickson (2018)
• Sheetal Sethupathi (2017)
• Grace Milburn (2016)

The William S. Stark Undergraduate Research Award was established in 2019 to recognize emeritus professor William S. Stark's exemplary contributions to the neuroscience program. The award honors a graduating neuroscience student who has demonstrated excellence in research.

Award recipients:

• Maria DelGiudice (2024)
• Laasyapriya Sarva (2023)

• Shalmali Mirajkar (2022)

• Patricia Mansfield (2021)
• Hannah Wilks (2020)
• Madison L. Richey (2019)

The Senior Legacy Symposium is an annual event that celebrates the achievements and abilities of Saint Louis University students. The Neuroscience Program selected the following students to showcase their culminating academic achievements to the SLU community through creative and poster presentations.

Presenters:

• Emily Haar (2023)
• Carla Hamwi (2023)
• Swathy Karthikeyan (2023)
• Annelise Koch (2023)
• Sharon Lee (2023)
• Erick Ramirez-Tovar (2023)

• Shalmali Mirajkar (2022)

• Priya Shah/Nimmy Tomy/Aubrey Czarnik (2022)

• Gabe Sweezy (2022)

• Chidera Agwu (2021)
• Hannah Wilks (2020)
• Sonia Jolly (2020)
• Wendy Teal (2020)
• Himani Aligireddy (2019)
• Ryanan Jayanth (2019)
• Ross Pelzel (2019)
• Jason Cocjin/Uddish Mondal (2018) 
• Elizabeth Erickson (2018) 
• Pallavi Mhaskar (2018) 
• Sheetal Sethupathi (2017) 
• Suriya Subramanian (2017) 
• Denish Jaswal/Daniel Sprehe (2017) 

Carla Hamwi (2024) received the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and Critical Need Language Award.

Isabelle Baugh (2023) was selected to participate in the Washington University ASPIRE Program Summer 2022.

 

Harsha Bollepalli (2023) was selected to participate in the Washington University Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at the Institute for Public Health Summer 2022 Research Program.

 

Chidera Agwu (2021) was selected to participate in the Washington University Institute for Public Health Aging & Neurological Diseases Summer 2019 Research Program.

Scott Lee ('20) was selected to participate in the Washington University Institute for Public Health Aging & Neurological Diseases Summer 2018 Research Program.

Hannah Wilks (2020) received the Society for Neuroscience Trainee Professional Development Award.

You must be a graduate of an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the GED. An official high school transcript and official test scores are required only if you have attempted fewer than 24 transferable semester hours of college credit.

If you have completed 24 college credit hours or more, you need only submit a transcript from previously attended colleges. In reviewing your file, the Office of Admission will holistically examine your academic performance in college-level coursework as an indicator of your ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University.

In addition, if you transfer as a sophomore and intend to major in neuroscience, you must have transfer credits for PSY 1010, BIOL 1240/1245, BIOL 1260/1265, CHEM 1110/1115 and CHEM 1120/1125 with a grade of B- or better in each course. If you transfer as a junior, you must also have transfer credits for BIOL 3020 and BIOL 3040 with a 3.0 GPA in these courses.

The research interests of our associated faculty include:

• Autonomic systems neuroscience
• Affective neuroscience
• Behavioral neuroscience
• Biomedical engineering
• Cellular and molecular neuroscience
• Clinical neurology
• Clinical psychology
• Cognitive neuroscience
• Computational neuroscience
• Developmental neuroscience
• Motor system neuroscience
• Nerve regeneration
• Neurodegeneration
• Neuroendocrine
• Neuroimaging
• Neuroimmunology
• Neurophysiology
• Neuropsychology
• Neurosurgery
• Pain
• Pharmacology
• Psychiatry
• Rehabilitation
• Sensory systems neuroscience
• Sleep disorders
• Spinal cord injury

Studying abroad offers many valuable opportunities, and all students are encouraged to consider this option. However, many courses in the neuroscience sequence have prerequisites that are only offered once a year. Summer abroad programs avoid scheduling conflicts. Students wishing to take a semester abroad should take NEUR 3400: Introduction to Neuroscience 1 in the spring of their sophomore year and travel abroad in their junior year. Spring semester is preferred for the neuroscience sequence; the pre-professional health office may recommend the fall semester. If you travel in the fall of junior year, then you will take NEUR 3500: Introduction to Neuroscience 2 in the fall of senior year.