The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) approved this week the Virginia Tech School of Neuroscience, effective fall 2016.

To be housed in the Virginia Tech College of Science and headed by neuroscientist Harald Sontheimer, the school was approved in November 2015 by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

SCHEV approved a bachelor’s of science in neuroscience in 2014, when the program was based in the College of Science’s Academy of Integrated Science. The bachelor’s and future graduate degrees will now be housed in the School of Neuroscience. The school promises to be a unique program in the nation, one that will study disorders of the brain, such as Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain injury, and the mind itself, including decision-making, behavior, and creativity.

“This is a great day for Virginia Tech and an even greater one for our students,” said Sontheimer, executive director of the school. “With the establishment of the first School of Neuroscience in the United States, Virginia Tech is taking a bold step signaling its unprecedented support for this fast-growing scientific discipline. The school will provide students with a novel, exciting, and truly comprehensive learning experience. Students will be able to pursue a range of majors linked with neuroscience, including clinical, experimental, social, cognitive, computational modeling, and data systems, providing them with skills to succeed in professions ranging from biotechnology and medicine to business and law.”

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