Neuroscience is the study of nerve cells and how they work together. By unravelling the mysteries of normal brain function, Neuroscience promotes our understanding of the devastating illnesses of the brain which afflict the lives of so many people. The Neuroscience with Psychology programme aims to instil a broad base of knowledge regarding the functioning of the nervous system. This is done via a bottom-up approach through an understanding of the nervous system at a molecular and cellular level, but also via a top-down approach through behavioural neuropsychology. Neuroscientists have to push technologies to the limit to study the nature neural function by recording from individual nerve cells and even from single molecules to understand diseases. Neuroscience research aims to understand diseases such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. It can also include work on the optic nerves, cardiac function, sense of smell, difficulty in swallowing, weakness in the muscles and other diseases and health problems since many of these have a neural basis.