Welcome to the Department of Neurosciences at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine. Founded by Story Landis in 1989, the department expanded under the leadership of subsequent chairs Lynn Landmesser, Evan Deneris, and Lin Mei. Using molecular, cellular, systems and behavioral approaches, we investigate nervous system development and function in health and disease, as well as the mechanisms underlying responses to injury and regeneration. We offer outstanding training opportunities for undergraduates, graduate and medical students, and postdoctoral fellows. The department is currently in a growth phase and is actively recruiting faculty members.
The Neurosciences Department at CWRU is part of a vibrant neuroscience community that includes more than four hundred neuroscientists at CWRU, the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, MetroHealth Medical Center, Kent State University, and Northeast Ohio Medical University. Based in our department, the recently established Cleveland Brain Health Initiative (CBHI) orchestrates interaction and collaboration among faculty across these institutions to solve pressing problems that affect brain health.
In addition to being a hub of biomedical research, Cleveland is a great place to live and abounds with cultural and recreational opportunities. CWRU is within walking distance of attractive and affordable residential communities where many students and faculty live. The campus is located in Cleveland’s dynamic University Circle area, along with the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History, and Severance Hall, home to the renowned Cleveland Orchestra. Beyond University Circle, the Greater Cleveland Area offers many destinations, including Playhouse Square, the Cleveland Metroparks, Lake Erie, and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Mission Statement
Understanding how the nervous system develops and functions and how it is altered by disease, injury, or environmental factors is one of the most exciting frontiers remaining in biomedical research today. Our goals are: 1) To understand how circuits in the brain, spinal cord, and autonomic nervous system are assembled during normal development, 2) To understand how these circuits function to enable normal sensation, movement, homeostasis, learning and memory, and higher cognitive functions, 3) To use this understand of basic mechanisms to provide new strategies and tools to treat a variety of disorders of the nervous system, and 4) To train the next generation of neuroscientists. By serving as a focus for neuroscience research and training throughout the institution, the department has facilitated important advances in our understanding of mechanisms underlying normal neuronal function and in developing potential therapies to treat the disease or injure nervous system. With continued support from government and private funding agencies, as well as from Case Western Research University and the School of Medicine, we are confident that these goals can be achieved.