In 2023, the Department of Psychiatry enrolled the first students for the new MSc in Neuroscience degree, a research-based programme with no study modules. The aim of the programme is to train researchers who can contribute toward the biopsychosocial understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders and develop much-needed research capacity in neuroscience in South Africa. This programme is a distinct offering from many other programs at Stellenbosch University in that it represents an interdisciplinary, cross-faculty research programme, which will draw on expertise in various fields to create a comprehensive research programme, yielding globally competitive Master’s students. The MSc programme is convened by Prof Soraya Seedat (Psychiatry EHOD) and Prof Sian Hemmings (Group leader of the Neuropsychiatric Genetics Group).
The first students to register for the programme are:
Leandré Van Rooyen’s MSc research aims to examine the genomic and microbiome factors in susceptibility to long-COVID-19 with a focus on neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Robert Glennon’s MSc research aims to investigate the role of the gut microbiome, host genetic factors and the interplay of the two in the risk and development of PTSD, major depressive disorder, and generalised anxiety disorder in a South African population group.
Please see here for further information on programme details and admission requirements.