2022-2023 Rotation Program cohort: (left to right) Carla Benea, Sapphire Hou, Ed Ruthazer, Austen Milnerwood, Nour Chahine, Amelie Metz, Allison Keil, Erica Cianfarano
Overview
The IPN Ph.D. Rotation Program admits a select group of candidates, to fill a maximum of seven open positions, each year for the Fall semester.
The Rotation program makes it possible for these outstanding students to begin their neuroscience doctoral work at McGill University by sampling several labs and supervisors. Through a series of rotations in 3 different labs, with each rotation lasting 3 months, these students get to experience diverse research fields and lab environments in order to identify the best scientific niche for themselves.
The IPN pays the full stipend, including tuition, fees and insurance for the rotation year. In subsequent years the host lab covers expenses.
Note that applicants to the Rotation Program may also, in parallel, contact supervisors and discuss the alternative possibility of direct admission to their laboratory. Admission to the Rotation Program will be announced by mid-February. Please inform the supervisor that you are under consideration for the Rotation Program and refrain from joining any one lab until your admission to the Rotation Program has been determined. At that point, you may choose to proceed with rotating (including in the supervisor’s lab) or decline admission to the Rotation Program and simply join their lab. Should your application for the Rotation Program be declined, it will automatically be evaluated for our M.Sc. or standard Ph.D. programs as appropriate.
Organization of Rotations
Upon arrival, Ph.D. Rotation students, along with the entire cohort of IPN Ph.D. students, will follow the standard IPN course sequence. However, in addition, Rotation students are expected to attend and participate in regular meetings with the other Rotation participants. Furthermore, each Rotation student will be assigned a Rotation Student Mentor who will help guide them through the process.
In their first year, Rotation students are expected to conduct 3 lab stints of about three months each. The fourth, and final, period of the Rotation year will be spent in the lab of the supervisor chosen for the duration of the Ph.D. In exceptional circumstances, the student may conduct a final rotation in another lab in their fourth period.
The following diagram displays the timeline of an IPN Ph.D. Rotation student's first year:
