Home | Neuroscience Institute

Our vision

Our vision is of an Africa where people achieve their full potential through brain health.

By addressing existing knowledge gaps and strengthening African research networks, we seek solutions to African challenges and work to ensure that African priorities are represented in global neuroscience.

Training and capacity development

We strive to build research capacity nationally and internationally, and grow the next generation of neuroscience researchers on both the clinical and basic neuroscience career tracks.

Master of Neuroscience Applications for 2026 now CLOSED!!

We look forward to welcoming students from diverse academic disciplines for this new Master's course, which prioritizes interdisciplinarity!

Advocacy and engagement

We follow a socially-responsive approach, using advocacy, engagement and outreach to extend our impact to and beyond the scientific community, to industry, government and society more broadly.

Cultivating compassion in healthcare

The first in the NI's Hot Topics in Neuroscience line up at this year's UCT Summer School featured Dr Heidi Matisonn of the EthicsLab talking about the difference between compassion and empathy.

Art, Imagination, and Science: Reflections on Ralph Borland’s Residency at the EthicsLab and Neuroscience Institute

Artist Ralph Borland's residency at UCT Neuroscience Institute used art as ethical inquiry in clinical spaces, proposing a dichroic light installation for the atrium and a model for ongoing artist-scientist collaboration.

Tuning into the correct signal: Associate Prof Tory Madden will be live on the radio discussing PAIN

UCT Summer School is around the corner - HAVE YOU got your tickets yet? A/Prof Tory Madden with be on CapeTalk Wednesday 14th Jan, 13h10 to 13h30, talking all things PAIN signaling.

Hot Topics in Neuroscience is back at UCT Summer School, 2026!!

The Neuroscience Institute presents - Hot topics in Neuroscience! Five thought-provoking lectures (and a panel discussion) at the forefront of academia to be presented at UCT Summer School 2026.

Xhosa Classes for all levels

learning to speak Xhosa in community.

12 March 2024 - 28 January 2027 Read more

SIG 22 Lab meeting’ seminar - Brain plasticity in children with dyslexia

SIG 22 Lab meeting’ seminars being run the The European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI) attached/below.

10 February 2026 Read more

The Basics of the Commandline and High Performance Systems workshop

A 1-hour online workshop run every 2nd friday (9-10am) that will be useful for those using Neuroimaging software such as FreeSurfer and AFNI.

15 March 2024 - 29 January 2027 Read more

PsychoPy/Unreal Engine workshop

A 1-hour online workshop run every 2nd friday (10-11am) that will be useful for those using PsychoPy and Unreal Engine to create and modify fMRI, EEG, fNIRS, and/or Cognitive or Behavioral tasks.