M2 Cognition, Behavior and Mental Disorders

The objectives of the M2 are to provide students with a solid knowledge regarding brain functioning (at different scales) allowing the development and implementation of behavior and cognitive functions in healthy subjects, in clinical populations or in preclinical models of psychiatric, neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative disorders. Relying on their innovative research, neuroscience experts will present current knowledge about how healthy brains develop and function, along with the latest innovative methods used to assess brain activity in humans and animal models. Another central objective of the program is to equip students with the tools to assess brain dysfunction in clinical populations and to evaluate efficiency of innovative therapeutics. This will be explored through examples of pathologies involving social dysfunction, eating disorders, learning developmental issues, and major psychiatric disorders including depression, addiction and post-traumatic stress disorders. All these aspects will rely on the close relationship among clinical, animal, and in silico approaches, offering a unique opportunity for students to question and discuss with experts the strength, ethics and limitations of each approach. The Master courses will be at the edge of current questions in Neuroscience, thus providing students with the knowledge and experience needed to take an active part in the laboratory where they will carry out their internship during the second semester.

The global objective of the Master degree is to provide students at the same time with technical/methodological understanding as well as a strong conceptual knowledge enabling them to comprehend and perform in multiple Neuroscience domains, from behavioral studies in preclinical models to pathophysiological assessments in healthy human or clinical populations.

The Master provides a unique opportunity for each student to shape her/his own path by choosing four optional units on top of the six mandatory ones. Students will learn how to design a Neuroscience research project, how to conceptualize a scientific question, why choosing specific methods, how to analyze data and appropriately present them to an audience.