Dr. Nicholas Spitzer

Professor

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Biography

Nick Spitzer received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University and University College London. He joined the faculty in 1972 and has since made significant contributions to the field of neuroscience, particularly in understanding neurotransmitter switching and forms of neuroplasticity. Spitzer has received numerous awards, including the Sloan Fellowship and the Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award, as well as the Guggenheim Fellowship. He served as the founding editor-in-chief of BrainFacts.org and is a founding co-director of the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind at UC San Diego. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on the complexities of neurotransmitter identity changes in response to environmental stimuli and how these changes affect behavior, with ongoing investigations into the molecular mechanisms regulating these processes.

Research Interests

Requirements for University of California, San Diego

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:85
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:120
Overall
Required:120
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in physical, biological, or earth sciences, mathematics, or engineering. Differential and integral calculus. One year of calculus-based physics with laboratory. One year of chemistry with laboratory.
Application Checklist
  • Statement of Purpose (max 2 pages)
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Application fee ($135 domestic / $155 international)
Specialization Notes

Administered by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Curricular groups include Climate-Ocean-Atmosphere (COAP), Geosciences (GEO), and Ocean Biosciences (OBP).