What is...?
The members of our Neurophysics interdisciplinary research group cover a wide range of expertise in Optics and Photonics, Neuroscience, Nanotechnology and Materials Science. This page is dedicated to give you a brief insight on these different fields and how they can help us to get a better understanding of the nervous system.
NEUROSCIENCE is a scientific field dealing with how the nervous system works. Studies related to neuroscience are interested in various approaches such as the anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology or pathology (among others) of the brain and the spinal cord. Due to the complexity of the nervous system, investigation methods call for highly diverse and highly specialized fields such as biology, computer science, photonics and nanotechnology to name a few. Systems and Cellular Neurobiologists from the CRULRG provide the necessary knowledge in this branch of the Neurophysics expert teams.
PHOTONICS is the science based on generating and controlling light to carry an information. Its name originates from a fundamental entity of light called the photon. The primary spectral range concerned is roughly 160nm to 1600nm (from the end of the ultraviolet to the near-infrared, covering the visible range at the same time). Various optical components such as lasers, waveguide, couplers and light detectors, to name a few, are used for this purpose. The major improvements in photonics technology will allow us to study cellular and molecular processes in living neurons, thus moving us one step closer to the understanding of both normal and pathological brain functions. Experts from the COPL provide a much needed knowledge in this field to the Neurophysics alliance.
NANOTECHNOLOGY derives in some way of the application of materials science and engineering at the atomic scale. New materials and devices, in the range of 1-100 nanometers, can emerge from the manipulation of individual atoms or molecules. This allows the design of new applications in biotechnology and medicine and is often called the next industrial revolution, for it could have a profound impact on our economies and society. This exciting field being in its early stages, much has yet to be discovered. One of the challenges in biotechnology is to assemble nano-sized particles or molecules. Experts in materials science and nanotechnology from McGill university bring their knowledge to the Neurophysics table. |
MATERIALS SCIENCE plays also a major role among the Neurophysics research teams. This is a multidisciplinary field interested in the physics and chemistry of the solid state, thus focusing on the combination of structural, magnetic, electronic, mechanical or thermal properties, to name a few. The advanced tools derived from this specialty that probe the materials structure have a major role to play in the Neurophysics groups research.