Neurobiology
Why Study Neurobiology?
The neurobiology minor at Caltech connects physics, biology, and bioengineering to help you understand how the brain works at its most fundamental levels. Studying neurobiology offers insights into human behavior, cognition, and mental health while developing expertise in the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive neural function. This foundational knowledge prepares you to address questions about how the brain works and apply this understanding to fields ranging from education to medical treatment and technological innovation.
Neurobiology bridges theory and practice. You might apply it to develop brain-computer interfaces, design treatments for neurological conditions, or explore the biological basis of consciousness, desire, happiness, mental disorders, or other phenomena. As neuroscience advances at the frontier of modern research, this minor equips you with specialized knowledge that complements majors across Caltech's scientific, social science, and humanities disciplines.
Why Neurobiology at Caltech?
Caltech's neurobiology minor provides the tools to answer questions about brain function, neural development, mental health, and human behavior. Our approach combines rigorous molecular and cellular biology with neural systems, allowing you to explore the nervous system at multiple scales, from individual neurons to complex neural circuits. This program connects directly to fields such as computation, bioengineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, and chemical engineering, sparking innovative research and projects that build practical solutions for applications in medicine, psychology, and technology.
Through Caltech's research community and Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF), you can access opportunities to contribute to groundbreaking neuroscience experiments. This hands-on experience mirrors how real scientists work and refine their questions, from testing ideas to learning from failures, preparing you to understand neuroscience and actively contribute to scientific advancement.
What You'll Learn
The neurobiology minor focuses on aspects of brain form and function that add context to your primary studies in another field. You'll gain insight into cell interactions within the nervous system, how neurons communicate and produce complex behaviors and physiological responses, and how scientists and historians have connected this knowledge to theorize about how computers "think," how political decisions are made, or how to treat neurological disorders.
The neurobiology minor curriculum covers genetics and development, surveys cutting-edge methods like optogenetics, and bridges neuroscience with philosophies of consciousness. In Introduction to Neuroscience, you'll explore the physical and chemical foundations of neural signaling and discover how neurological systems apply to the biological sciences and beyond. For hands-on skills, the Cellular and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory course provides practical experience and transferable laboratory competencies that are valuable for research rooted in biological materials.
View the Caltech catalog for degree requirements and curriculum information.
Who You'll Learn From
Caltech's flexible academics enable you to learn from faculty who push the boundaries of neuroscience research and scientific discovery across multiple disciplines. Our professors are experts in exploratory fields—from how drugs affect brain cells to how entire neural systems create cognition and behavior, or how a disrupted nervous system could be repaired. The neurobiology minor thrives within Caltech's collaborative environment, with faculty working across traditional disciplinary boundaries to address complex questions about brain function and behavior, ranging from the philosophy of science to quantum computing.
Instructional labs are closely connected to active research projects. The freshman biology lab course is called Bi1X. Our experiment this year is an active research area for one of the faculty members in the department. In Bi1X, we aren't afraid of making mistakes. We're doing things we don't know the outcome of. We could do the same experiment that's been done in biology labs for 100 years, where you know exactly what's going to happen, but we choose instead to do more risky things and treat it like real research, even if it's in an instructional lab.
Career Possibilities
With knowledge of the intricacies of our nervous system's cellular and molecular functions and features, the neurobiology minor enhances career prospects across multiple pathways, providing specialized knowledge that complements your primary field of study. This minor helps prepare you for:
- Further education in medical or biological sciences
- Healthcare technology and innovation
- Industry roles in pharmaceuticals or biotechnology
- Research in neurological sciences
- Specialized engineering in neural interfaces or nanodevices
Curriculum Components and Prerequisites
The neurobiology minor adds specialized knowledge of neural systems to your primary field of study through a structured curriculum including:
- Biology fundamentals
- Introductions to neuroscience
- Intermediate biology, chemistry, and neuroscience courses
- Advanced neurobiology topics
Advanced electives cover topics like neural circuits, brain pharmaceuticals, animal nervous systems, lab techniques, research tools, and the biology behind neural disorders.
Pursue a Minor in Neurobiology at Caltech
Enhance your scientific or engineering education with a minor in neurobiology at the forefront of brain research. Whether you are pursuing computer science, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, biology, or chemistry, neurobiology at Caltech uncovers how biological systems process information and produce complex behaviors. The skills you acquire will distinguish you in graduate school or careers where understanding the brain provides an advantage.