Training opportunities

Graduate training

To join the Berson lab for doctoral research, please apply to one of the following graduate programs:

For specific questions about current projects, whether new students are being accepted into the lab, or other issues, feel free to contact us directly.

Postdoctoral training

Inquiries about possible postdoctoral training opportunities in the lab are welcome at any time. Contact information is available here. Financial support for postdoctoral students in the lab comes from a variety of sources including research grants, internal funds, and an NIMH training grant. After joining the group, trainees work closely with Dr. Berson to seek external fellowship support.

Environment

Our research group is an energetic, smart and supportive community that brings a wealth of diverse strengths and interests to our common research work. The group uses a great variety of technical approaches, including:

  • Physiological

    • whole cell voltage and current clamp
    • paired cell recordings
    • multielectrode array recording
    • calcium imaging
    • synaptic pharmacology
    • visual stimulation

  • Anatomical

    • intracellular dye filling
    • immunohistochemistry
    • confocal microscropy
    • axonal tracing

  • Molecular/cell biology/biochemistry

    • genetically modified mice
    • single-cell RT-PCR
    • cell culture
    • western blotting

The lab is housed in a beautiful and wonderfully functional new building. In addition to ample in house equipment for electrophysiology, anatomy and cell and molecular biology, we have access to shared core facilities for confocal microscopy, histology, cell culture, laser capture microdissection, electron microscopy as well sequencing and transgenic facilities. We interact closely with other laboratories in Neuroscience as well as elsewhere in the Division of Biology and Medicine and the new Center for Vision Research at Brown. We also have collaborative projects ongoing with labs at Johns Hopkins; Vanderbilt; Univ. of Virginia; and Univ. of Washington, Seattle.

Brown University sits perched on College Hill, overlooking downtown Providence. The city, one of the largest in New England, has a fascinating history and a unique social and ethnic flavor. It has undergone a renaissance in the past decade and boasts many cultural and culinary attractions. Providence is strategically located within the Northeast Corridor, with easy access by car or train to Boston (1 hour) and New York (3.5 hours). Great ocean beaches and countryside are a short drive away, and even the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont are a manageable day trip.