A neuroscientist is an individual who studies the scientific field of neuroscience or any of its related sub-fields. Neuroscience as a distinct discipline separate from anatomy, neurology, physiology, psychology, or psychiatry is fairly recent, aided in large part by the advent of newer, faster computing methods and neuroimaging techniques. Neuroscientist is sometimes used synonymously with neurobiologist.
These scientists generally work as researchers within a college, university, government agency, or private industry setting.
Many colleges and universities now have a neuroscience program, existing either as its own distinct department or as an institute within another, larger department. Often the neuroscience program exists within the psychology, molecular and cell biology, or other biology department. There are now many schools that offer Ph.D.s in neuroscience and/or neurobiology.