Is there any branch of physics related to the brain, consciousness and the mind?

[jeebs]

I'm a physics student and I graduate in a few months. I have been looking for PhD's because I want to carry on learning physics but have so far struggled to find a PhD subject that really caught my eye.
I do, however, have an interest in the brain, the mind and consciousness (although I have no formal education in any of that). It occurred to me that if I could continue my studies in something that combined both physics and brain/mind/consciousness stuff, that would be perfect. However, googling around has not really turned up anything helpful so I thought I would ask here.
Does such a branch of physics even exist, and if so, is it active in 2011?

 

[deluks917]

There is a very good pattern recognition group at Brown Applied Math.

 

[AlephZero]

Did your google search find http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mind ?

 

[Kevin_Axion]

Quantum consciousness isn't seen as a reasonable approach to studying neuroscience. A lot of physicists go into computational neuroscience and research sensory processing, axonal development/processing, memory/synaptic plasticity, neural network behaviour, cognition/learning and consciousness.

 

[rudolf141]

I think that there are loads of people in neuroscience(at least in Europe way more people are interested in neuroscience than in physics), not that many it seems in the computational area, since biologist are not trained in computation that much.My girlfriend Has Maths background and she applied for a PHd in computational ( in this case statistical)neuroscience.
I am interested in the field very much as well .

 

[moo-on]

Try Physics and Mathematical Biology at Rockefeller University. There are about three different labs working on brain-related research from a physics perspective.

 

[Simfish]

Christof Koch's lab (http://www.klab.caltech.edu/) is physics-intensive, as is the CNS department at Caltech. Koch was trained in physics.

 

[rudolf141]

I have a question as well ,for those of you who are in the field.
How far can you go without solid chemistry knowledge in this field? I mean I suppose you can do a lot of modelling but for deeper understanding one needs chemistry?? The only subject I never liked... and still I am as well very interested in the brain

I anticipate your answers...

 

[Simfish]

I have a question as well ,for those of you who are in the field.
How far can you go without solid chemistry knowledge in this field? I mean I suppose you can do a lot of modelling but for deeper understanding one needs chemistry?? The only subject I never liked... and still I am as well very interested in the brain

I anticipate your answers...

A theoretical neurobiologist I once talked to (http://www.amath.washington.edu/~etsb/, by the way), said that he didn't even need any chemistry at all (and doesn't know any ochem)

 

[rudolf141]

THat s good news, thanks Simfish.

 

[mal4mac]

http://www.ls.manchester.ac.uk/masterscourses/courses/computationalneuroscience/careers/profilethree/

 

[med17k]

Maybe Biophysics but no branch of Physics study consciousness or mind

 

[hadsed]

If you are interested in computer science, you can look into computational neuroscience/artificial intelligence. My uncle was doing a Ph.D in this field, specifically trying to model the human brain. His B.S. degree was in CS though, so unless you've had experience in some computer science or computational physics, this may not work for you.

You could perhaps get a masters in computer science, and then try a Ph.D in artificial intelligence.