Course Descriptions

• Biology of Neurological Diseases
  Course Detail

  GS14 1183 (3 credits)
  Fall

  Zhang, Sheng; Hu, Jian. Three semester hours. Fall, annually. Grading System: Letter Grade. Prerequisite: None. Audit Permitted. 

  This course will focus on the etiologies underlying major neural diseases. Led by GSBS faculty with related expertise, the course will review representative neural diseases and discuss seminal research papers in the respective fields, with emphasis on the current understanding of these diseases at molecular, cellular, and system levels. By completing this course, students should grasp the knowledge of fundamental biology of major neural diseases, appreciate the common and distinctive mechanisms underlying these diseases, learn the existing hypotheses and experimental paradigms as well as outstanding questions and main challenges in the field, and hone the ability to develop novel strategies for scientific and translational discoveries for this unique group of diseases.

• Biostatistics for Life Scientists
  Course Detail

  GS14 1612 (2 credits)
  Spring

  Liu, Yin. Two semester hours. Spring, annually. Grading System: Letter Grade. Prerequisite: None.

  This is an entry-to-intermediate level course of biostatistics aimed at scientists in the life sciences. During the first half of the semester, the course will introduce students to the basic concepts and statistical tests that are routinely encountered in analyzing scientific data in designed experiments, as opposed to the analysis of clinical or epidemiological type data. Following an introduction to probability, students will learn what statistical tests are appropriate and how to run them. Emphasis is on intelligent usage rather than mathematical formality. Standard tests such as t, z, chi squared, ANOVA and regression analyses will be learned, as well as how power analyses and calculating sample size is performed. During the second half of the semester, advanced topics in life sciences, including Poisson distributions, clustering methods and multidimensional analyses will be covered. Another goal of this course will be to build familiarity with the basic R toolkit for statistical analysis and graphics.

• Cognitive Neuroscience
  Course Detail

  GS14 1173 (3 credits)
  Spring

  Lane, Scott. Three semester hours. Spring, annually. Grading System: Letter Grade. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor

  This course is an introductory graduate level overview of cognitive neuroscience. The course will cover basics in history, neuroanatomy, methods of cognitive neuroscience, sensation and perception, control of action, learning and memory, emotion, language, attention, drugs and cognition, impulsivity, cognitive control, social cognition, and neurobiology of disease. The intent is to provide students with fundamental knowledge of how the brain relates to cognitive functions and how this may help in understanding and treatment of human diseases that affect the central nervous system.

• Graduate Neuroanatomy
  Course Detail

  GS14 1181 (1 credits)
  Fall

  Nagayama, Shin; Dougherty, Patrick. One semester hour. Fall, annually. Grading System: Pass/Fail. Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor.

  This is a mandatory course (P/F) for students who intend to attend GSBS Neuroscience Program. Students will attend the “Nervous System and Behavior Laboratory” course for medical students as special students and study a broad overview of the structure and function of the central nervous system. The general architecture of the nervous system and its functional systems are presented using human specimens in the classes. Graduate students will not only benefit from hands-on neuroanatomy laboratory sessions but also video lectures and online quizzes/answers. Through the course and interaction with faculties and other students each week, students will gain essential knowledge of the architecture of the nervous system and an appreciation for some of the fundamental ideas and unsolved questions in neuroscience research.

  Curriculum Committee Commended Course for Academic Year 2021-2022

• Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
  Course Detail

  GS14 1214 (4 credits)
  Fall

  Heidelberger, Ruth; Beierlein, Michael. Four semester hours. Fall, annually. Grading System: Letter Grade. Prerequisite: None.

  This course is a graduate level treatment of molecular and cellular neuroscience. It is designed for first-year graduate students and will introduce basic concepts of molecular, electrical and chemical signaling in individual neurons, synapses, and local neuronal circuits.  Topics covered include the functional properties of membranes, receptors, and channels, intracellular signaling cascades, synaptic transmission, short- and long-term forms of synaptic plasticity, and information processing in neuronal dendrites and local circuits.

  Curriculum Committee Commended Course for Academic Year 2020-2021

• Neurobiology of Mental Health Disorders
  Course Detail

  GS14 1131 (1 credits)
  Fall

  Walss-Bass, Consuelo. One-semester hour. Fall, annually. Grading System: Pass/Fail. Prerequisite: None. Audit permitted.

  This course will cover the current understanding of the biological basis of mental health disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorders. The course will include discussions on challenges that are unique to mental health disorders, and how knowledge of biological underpinnings can be translated to clinical treatments. The presentations will be led by researchers with expertise in the specific disorder and will focus on recent publications on the topic, to facilitate an interactive discussion with students.

  Upon successful completion of this course, students will understand the current knowledge of the biological basis of psychiatric disorders, including underlying molecular, cellular, and systems mechanisms. Students will appreciate how challenges unique to mental health disorders are being approached, what challenges remain, and future directions.

• Neurocircuits and Behavior
  Course Detail

  GS14 1223 (3 credits)
  Spring

  Do Monte, Fabricio; Tong, Qingchun: Three semester hours. Spring, even years. Grading System: Letter Grade. Prerequisites: GS14 1214: Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, GS14 1014: Systems Neuroscience, and consent of instructor.

  This is an advanced course aimed at students interested in the general field of Systems Neuroscience. The course will introduce new technological advances, as well as their application to examine the functional role of specific neural circuits in vivo. This course will employ a combination of  introductory lectures and extensive in-class discussions of primary literature. In addition, students will be introduced to the manuscript peer review process, by selecting manuscripts from a preprint server, and identifying their conceptual and technical strengths and weaknesses. 

• Systems Neuroscience
  Course Detail

  GS14 1024 (4 credits)
  Spring

  Dragoi, Valentin. Four semester hours. Spring, annually. Grading System: Letter Grade. Prerequisite: consent of instructor

  This course covers the key concepts in systems neuroscience that allow students to understand how individual neurons and circuits process information and how they modulate behavior. Emphasis is placed on the basic structure and function of cells and networks residing in the nervous system. The course covers the major available techniques to examine the operation of neurons and networks in vivo. The principles of functional neuroanatomy are presented by highlighting the main types of neuronal circuits that constitute the building blocks of systems neuroscience. The neural development section is intended to offer students insight into the early 'shaping' of neuronal circuits as computational units. An important concept in systems neuroscience is the fact that information is processed in a hierarchical manner. Covering this issue will allow students to learn about the different stages of cortical processing that constitute the foundations of cognition. Finally, a fundamental property of neurons and circuits, i.e., the capacity to adapt, is discussed in the context of short and long-term plasticity, adaptation, and learning. The overall goal of this course is to provide students with fundamental knowledge of the function, development, and plasticity of neuronal circuits by emphasizing how neural circuits analyze sensory information, form perceptions of the external worlds, make decisions, and execute movements.  

• Visual Neuroscience
  Course Detail

  GS14 1213 (3 credits)
  Fall

  TBD.  Three semester hours. Fall, odd-numbered years. Grading System: Letter Grade. Prerequisites: GS14 1214: Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience and consent of instructor.

  This is an advanced elective course aimed at students in the neurosciences. The course will introduce the students to the core concepts of the anatomy, physiology and function of the visual system, with an emphasis on retinal circuitry. The retina is arguably the most valuable model to study the CNS. Its accessibility and organization makes it a convenient research tool with which to link anatomy and functionality, and study processes and diseases similar to those in the brain and spinal cord.  The course will guide students to understand how image-forming and non-image forming functions of the retina are accomplished. Normal and dysregulated molecular events underlying developmental and physiological control of retinal function will also be covered. The course will alternate lectures and student presentations of significant articles in the field. Active involvement of the students in class is expected.