Dr. Robert Malenka

Professor

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Biography

Robert Malenka is the Pritzker Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. He is the Director of the Nancy Pritzker Laboratory and serves as the Deputy Director of the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. Malenka graduated from Harvard College and received his M.D. and Ph.D. in neuroscience from Stanford University School of Medicine in 1983. Following six years of residency training in psychiatry at Stanford and four years of postdoctoral research at UCSF, he was appointed to UCSF as an Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Physiology in 1989, eventually becoming a Full Professor in 1996. In 1999, he returned to Stanford University. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of neural communication and the role of circuit dysfunction in brain disorders such as addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, autism, and depression. Malenka has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Young Investigator Award from the Society for Neuroscience and the NARSAD Goldman-Rakic Prize for Outstanding Neuroscience Research. He is noted for his contributions to understanding synaptic plasticity and memory formation.

Research Interests

Experience

Professor

1999-01-01 — Present

Stanford University • Stanford, California

Pritzker Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Director of the Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Deputy Director of the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute.

Awards

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Young Investigator Award

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Daniel Efron Award

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International Prize Neuroscience

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CINP-Lilly Neuroscience Basic Research Award

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NARSAD Goldman-Rakic Prize

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Julius Axelrod Prize

Courses

BIOE 392 NEPR 299 PSYC 299 NEPR 399 PSYC 399 PSYC 370 PSYC 290 PSYC 199

Requirements for Stanford University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:26
Reading
Required:26
Writing
Required:26
Speaking
Required:26
Total
Required:100
GRE General
Verbal
Required:160
Quantitative
Required:165
Analytical Writing
Required:4.5
Overall
Required:4.5
Prerequisites
Bachelor degree from an accredited institution Strong background in mathematics and programming
Application Checklist
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Official transcripts
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

The Computer Science department emphasizes research potential. GRE General is currently optional but recommended for some tracks.