About the Department

Neurosciences are all the scientific disciplines that study the cellular and molecular basis of the nervous system. Neurosciences analyse high integrative functions and mental activity in normal and pathological conditions, through the integrated contribution of numerous biomedical research branches: neuroanatomy, neurobiology, neurochemistry, neurosurgery, neuroendocrinology, neuropharmacology, neurophysiology, neurology, neuropathology, clinical neuropsychology, neuroradiology, and psychiatry.

The Department of Neuroscience was born in 2012 with the aim of bringing together different clinical and biomedical academic traditions. This cooperation among different branches represents an added value for research teams and individual researchers to develop vertical interactions between clinical, basic sciences, and translational research on the nervous system. In 2013 it was dedicated to Rita Levi Montalcini, who started working in the basic and clinical institutes of the Department.

Some of the research groups of the Department work at the NICO (Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi), in Orbassano (Turin). NICO is a leading research centre in experimental neuroscience; it hosts numerous Italian and foreign young researchers (undergraduates, graduates and PhD students).

The Department is the leader of the Interdepartmental Centre NIT (Neuroscience Institute of Turin), born to create synergies within the University of Torino in order to maximize research results. The NIT gathers over one hundred researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds, from mathematics to philosophy. Besides, it is the presidential seat of the Interuniversity Consortium "National Institute of Neuroscience," which brings together some prestigious Italian neuroscience university centres.

Our teachers occupy a leading position in their respective disciplines in the international arena of scientific research. Some are at the head of international scientific societies and publish in the most prestigious international scientific journals. Moreover, they participate in the development of new drugs and are involved in technological transfer activities.

The laboratories are equipped for molecular biology, neuropathology and imaging at different levels (light, electron and confocal microscopy, and macroscopic morphofunctional aspects, with fMRI 3T of NIT).

In addition to research activity, the Department is engaged in teaching and higher education. Active courses, in fact, are the Degree Course in Neurophysiology Techniques, three post-graduate program schools (Neurology, Neurosurgery, Psychiatry), seven first level Master; since 2015 a second level master school will be implemented. All these activities, which provide high professional skills, include the various sectors of the health professions.

Since 2014, the Department is home of the PhD school in Neurosciences, which provides the training of Third Cycle Degree and covers both areas of basic and clinical research.

The Department of Neuroscience is organized in services and has laboratories in which the technical, administrative and librarian staff supports all activities of teaching, research and clinical assistance.