The NACS program offers a wide range of research and training opportunities for students who are interested in pursuing doctoral-level research in a variety of areas within neuroscience and cognitive science. Faculty research interests center around seven main areas: Cellular & Molecular, Sensory & Motor Systems, Computational Modeling & Theory, Language & Speech, Cognition & Emotion, Development & Aging, and Disorders & Treatment. Research approaches include both the theoretical and experimental, with several laboratories doing both. Research and training activities of NACS take place within the laboratories of faculty in 20 participating departments and units: Aerospace Engineering, Animal and Avian Sciences, Biology, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, English, Entomology, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Hearing and Speech Sciences, Human Development, Kinesiology, Linguistics, Philosophy, Psychology, and Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership, as well as the Center for Advanced Study of Language, the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, the Institute for Systems Research, the Maryland Neuroimaging Center, and the Second Language Acquisition program. The NACS program requires the completion of two required core courses and three out of five core courses, including introduction to neurosciences, cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience, cellular and molecular neuroscience, and cognitive science. The goal of the Program is to bring together the diverse perspectives and strengths of all the included disciplines in order to understand the working of the nervous system, the mind, and behavior.<br><br>Sensory-motor integration takes the view that in many aspects of behavior, motor actions and sensory processing are inextricably linked. Examples include: walking, talking, singing, grasping, standing, etc. Many brain areas are more clearly devoted to either sensory processing or motor control where their roles are better defined. Intermediate areas of the brain which respond to sensory stimuli and appear to precede movement are more difficult to understand. Our researchers study both how sensory processing and motor functions interact at the neural level, and also how behavior can drive this interaction.