Research focuses both on model systems and on studies directly related to understanding and treatment of human behavioral disorders and neural disease. Particular areas of strength and interest evolve as faculty change, grants are received, and new discoveries are made.  The beauty of the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Neuroscience Program is its flexibility, not only in developing its graduate program, but in allowing the science to drive discovery. The research environment varies from places like Beckman Institute and the Institute for Genomic Biology to the College of Veterinary Medicine to the Psychology Building to the Piglet and Nutrition Lab.  Each environment is highly collegial, and there are numerous collaborations within and between these research areas and with other labs across the campus. There are many ways of organizing the diverse and growing body of knowledge that we call neuroscience. The Research Themes listed here are representative of current trends in neuroscience, and of the integrative research programs in University of Illinois neuroscience laboratories.