Cognitive Neuroscience: Chemistry vs Physics for UC Davis Biochemistry Major

[annoyinggirl]

I attend UC Davis, which doesn't offer Neuroscience as a major. What is the next best alternative if I want to go into cognitive neuroscience? I'm currently majoring in Biochemistry. Is that the best major for Cognitive Neuroscience? If not, what is? According to wikipedia:" Due to its multidisciplinary nature, cognitive neuroscientists may have various backgrounds. Other than the associated disciplines just mentioned, cognitive neuroscientists may have backgrounds in these disciplines: neurobiology, bioengineering, psychiatry, neurology, physics, computer science, linguistics, philosophy and mathematics." I'm wondering why chemistry is not mentioned, whereas Physics is. Shouldn't biochemistry/chemistry have more to do with the brain than does physics?

 

[mazinse]

i guess the neurobio already took care of all that biochem

 

[chill_factor]

neurochemistry has to do with the chemistry of the brain. it is applied to solving neurological problems. you give someone medicine and their brain changes (say, no longer depressed). however it doesn't have much to do with studying the brain itself.

physics is used to actually study the brain itself, from MRI scans for example, and to model brain processes.

 

[atyy]

http://www.sfn.org/index.aspx?pagename=whatisneuroscience
"Cognitive neuroscientists study functions such as perception and memory in animals by using behavioral methods and other neuroscience techniques. In humans, they use non-invasive brain scans -- such as positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging -- to uncover routes of neural processing that occur during language, problem solving and other tasks."

Despite the use of PET and fMRI, a recommendation of physics for this subfield probably has to do with the sorts of mathematical models employed, ie. with the sorts of mathematical familiarity would have, eg.
http://videolectures.net/icml09_niv_tnorl/
http://www.princeton.edu/~yael/Publications/Niv2009.pdf