Georgia Tech’s First Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Ph.D. Cohort Arrives on Campus

The inaugural cohort of Georgia Tech’s Ph.D. program in Neuroscience and Neurotechnology has arrived on campus for the Fall 2025 semester. The group includes both transfers from other Georgia Tech graduate programs and students new to the Institute. 

A joint initiative of the Colleges of Sciences, Computing, and Engineering, the program aims to educate students and advance the field of neuroscience through an interdisciplinary approach. It integrates neuroscience research with technological development to explore all levels of nervous system function. 

“Our first Ph.D. students represent a wide range of professional and research interests in neuroscience and neurotechnology,” says Tim Cope, program director and professor in the School of Biological Sciences and Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering. “The student-centered program is built on the strength of our exceptional researchers and educators. I am watching with excitement as our faculty and new students create a dynamic community of learning and collaboration that is dedicated to neuroscience discovery.”

Ph.D. program pioneers

Yvonne Milligan, a Kennesaw, Georgia native, is one of the program’s first students. Her research focuses on the nervous system and how it interacts with ovarian cancer.

For Milligan, choosing the program was an easy decision.

“Georgia Tech encourages forward-thinking,” she says. “As someone interested in various industry roles, I liked the support available for all career paths, not just academia.”

Abigail Holberton, a Georgia Tech alumna (BME 2022) from Dacula, Georgia, is also a member of the inaugural cohort. She studies in vitro and in vivo mild traumatic brain injury, examining the role of intracellular signals between cells. She joined the program to deepen her expertise in cellular and molecular neuroscience.

“Being part of the first class is a great honor as I hope to help pave the way for future scientists and engineers to explore neuroscience and neurotechnology,” she says. “I am very excited to learn about some of the most cutting-edge techniques in neuroscience from pioneers in the field.”

Georgia Tech and neuroscience

The Ph.D. program complements Georgia Tech’s B.S. in Neuroscience degree, one of the fastest-growing undergraduate majors at the Institute, as well as the recently launched Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society. 

“Together, the new doctoral degree program, the undergraduate neuroscience program — now in its eighth year — and the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society will strengthen Georgia Tech’s core commitment to developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition,” says David M. Collard, senior associate dean in the College of Sciences and professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. 

“Strengthened by the launch of our new Ph.D. program, Georgia Tech takes another big step forward as a top-tier destination for neuroscience,” Cope adds. “The program fosters an exciting environment for research and training — built on the strength of our faculty’s leading-edge work and their genuine enthusiasm for mentoring the next generation of neuroscientists.”